PAN Ready to Declare Coalition with Gerindra

Jakarta (Antara) - National Mandate Party (PAN) is ready to form a coalition with the Gerindra Party, which will be announced in the PAN National Meeting on May 14. This was confirmed by the Chairman of the Central Board of PAN and the Minister of Forestry Zulkifli Hasan here on Friday. "We have decided (to forge a coalition with the Gerindra), later we will make it official in a National Workshop on Wednesday," Zulkifli said. According to him, the agreement was reached after the Gerindra accepted PAN's regulations. The coalition will be based on the 1945 Constitution, particularly Article 33 that stipulates that the use of natural resources should be for the maximum prosperity of the people. "So the natural resources should make the people sovereign, and Mr. Prabowo as the presidential candidate of the Gerindra signed the regulations," he said. However, Zulkifli was unwilling to reveal whether the coalition also agreed to the presidential duo of Prabowo and Hatta. "We are no longer talking about dividing the power in the government. The vice-presidential candidate will be chosen by our presidential candidate (Prabowo). For us (the PAN) that is the most important thing," he said. (*) Reporting by Subagyo Translated by Maria Rosari