REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Deputy secretary general of the National Mandate Party (PAN) Teguh Juwarno said the Red and White Coalition (KMP) was facing greater challenge in maintaining its solidity ahead.

KMP groups the majority parties in the parliament against the Great Indonesian Coalition (KIH), which supports the government of President Joko Widodo (Jokowi). One of the biggest issues that splits the Parliament between the two big coalitions is elections system to be adopted for regional leaders such as governors, regents and city majors. KMP calls for elections by regional legislative assemblies (DPRD) and KIH is in favor of maintaining the previous system of direct election by the people.

"If KMP agrees with direct election it would mean it has suffered a crack in solidity, and the challenge to be faced by KPM as a permanent coalition would be greater," Teguh said on Friday.

He said KPM was not bound by the same ideology. Hence, some predict KMP will break up. He said the leadership posts at Parliament were already divided proportionally among the KMP members. What was left to keep the coalition together was their mutual interest in passing the law on regional election system through DPRD, he added.

He said in approaching the next election year 2019 all parties including the KMP members would compete against other to win the public sympathy. Later any coalition would be ones based on issue and political interest in which the parties find themselves in common, he said.

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