PDIP Politician Aks Prabowo to Congratulate Jokowi

Jakarta (Antara) - Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP) politician Effendy Simbolon has urged presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto to congratulate Joko Widodo, better known as Jokowi, on winning the July presidential election. After an impromptu meeting with numerous politicians from the Red-and-White Coalition at Mulia Hotel on Monday night, he noted that it was advisable for Prabowo to congratulate Jokowi to show that there was no hostility between them. "When I met Prabowo a while ago, he put his arm around me and said there was no hostility among us. But in my opinion, it is better for him to congratulate Jokowi on being elected as president," Effendi remarked. Effendi revealed that he had met Prabowo and the other politicians of the Red-and-White coalition when he was attending a wedding reception at the same hotel on Monday evening. Prabowo has yet to publicly congratulate Jokowi or concede defeat, although the PDIP has congratulated him on being elected general chairman of the Gerindra Party in September to replace Suhardi, who passed away on August 28, 2014. "As secretary general of the PDIP, I congratulate Pak (Mr) Prabowo, who was elected general chairman of Gerindra because he is our partner," PDIP secretary general Tjahjo Kumolo remarked on the sidelines of the party's national working meeting here on September 21, 2014. Tjahjo further emphasized that the relations between the PDIP and Gerindra were sound, and there has been no problem. Both the parties had even cooperated in supporting the presidential and vice presidential candidates in the 2009 polls. "Pak (Mr) Prabowo with his Gerindra Party is our partner as well as part of the larger PDIP family. So, let us build this nation in the spirit of togetherness and mutual support," Tjahjo added. (*)