PPP Agrees to Coalesce with Gerindra: PPP Chief

Jakarta (Antara) - General Chairman of the United Development Party (PPP) Suryadharma Ali (SDA) said the PPP Executive Board (DPP PPP) had agreed to coalesce with the Great Indonesian Movement Party (Gerindra). "The process of forming a coalition is crystallizing. The general chairman and the executive board of the PPP have agreed to coalesce with Pak (Mr) Prabowo Subianto (chief patron of the Gerindra). Pak Prabowo will come here this evening to discuss the coalition plan," Suryadharma said at the PPP headquarters here on Friday. He said the PPP no longer had reservations about a coalition with the Gerindra, although there was an internal rift within the PPP previously. However, SDA said until now no political agreement had been signed to finalize the coalition plan. "There is no political agreement as yet. This is in the interest of the nation. We have to come together first and forge the same vision and mission to fight for the interest of the nation. We have had no political transactions," the PPP chief added. He said both sides had not yet discussed who will contest the election as the vice presidential candidate with Prabowo. Prabowo is the presidential candidate of the Gerindra. Suryadharma Ali also refused to speculate whether he would be asked by Probowo to run with him as a presidential and vice presidential pair-up. "Just let things flow naturally. What will happen has been determined by God. We will explain further after Pak Prabowo arrives," he said. (*)