REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- The presidential candidate of the Indonesia Democratic Party Struggle (PDIP), Joko Widodo, or Jokowi, said his party and the National Democrat Party (NasDem) shared a common desire to build a strong presidential system of government.

"We wish to restore the spirit of a strong presidential system of government for the next government," he said after meeting with NasDem's chief Surya Paloh at the NasDem party headquarters here on Saturday.

He added that PDIP and Nasdem also have a strong common desire to improve the welfare of the people.

He said the coalition that PDIP and Nasdem would build would not be based upon transactions, and during the meeting there had not been talk about the distribution of ministerial posts.

"We avoided a transactional relationship. We (PDIP and Nasdem) agreed with the idea. We also agreed to avoid it. I expressed my appreciation to Bang (Brother) Surya, who would not prioritize discussions of vice presidential posts or cabinet posts. He has statesmanship," Jokowi said.

Surya Paloh, meanwhile, said on the occasion that his party had formally expressed its support to Joko Widodo as a presidential candidate in the election on July 9.

"We have agreed to close ranks to support the PDIP's presidential candidate. The Nasdem Party would fully support him," he said.

Surya said Nasdem wished to build Indonesia to become a better country in the future, along with PDIP.

"We wish Indonesia would be greater in the future," he said.

He noted that Nasdem Party would discuss the concept of the type of government that would be built during the next administration, including the vice presidential candidate.

"It is still being discussed as to whether Nasdem Party would only endorse a vice presidential candidate. We will discuss it with PDIP's general chairperson Megawati Soekarnoputri in the next two or three days," he said.

PDIP was the winner of the legislative elections on April 9, garnering around 19 percent of the votes, based on quick vote counts, while Nasdem Party finished eighth with 6.71 percent of votes.

PDIP needs to join with other parties in order to meet the presidential threshold set at 25 percent of national votes or 20 percent of parliamentary seats totaling 560.

Results of the official count by the General Elections Commission will be made known early next month.

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