JAKARTA (Yosefardi) – Former President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY), who is still Chairman of Democratic Party, denied recent speculation saying the Democratic Party will join the Great Indonesia ruling coalition (KIH).
Talking to the press after giving a speech at the State Islamic University (UIN) Syarif Hidayatullah on Wednesday (Dec. 10), SBY firmly said that Democratic Party is not part of either KIH or the opposition group known as the Red-and-White coalition (KMP).
“Pretty much like the Cold War..there were the Western Bloc, Eastern Bloc, and also Non-Bloc movement… That’s our choice,” SBY said.
As reported earlier, speculation about the joining of the Democratic Party into the KIH ruling coalition came to surface following SBY’s disappointment to KMP, especially Golkar Party, related to their maneuver to reject the government regulation in lieu of law No.1/2014 (known as the direct regional election perpu).
SBY had issued Perpu 1/2014 to replace the controversial indirect regional election Law No. 22/2014 after public outcry following Democratic Party’s decision to walk out from the House plenary session that passed Law 22/2014. (haryantosuharman@yosefardi.com)