Expert warns Prabowo camp to monitor Jokowi

JAKARTA. A political observer from the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI), Siti Zuhro, has stated her hope that lawmakers from the Red-and-White Coalition would keep an eye on President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s administration, despite recent political reconciliations.

“The Prabowo-led coalition has to keep its promise to continue monitoring [Jokowi’s performance] at the House of Representatives,” she said on Saturday as quoted by kompas.com.

Siti added that lawmakers from both sides had to establish an effective and professional partnership.

Jokowi met with Prabowo on Oct. 17 at the latter’s home on Jl. Kertanegara 4 in South Jakarta. The meeting, which lasted 15 minutes, was the first between the two since the hard-fought presidential election in July.

Prabowo also attended the inauguration of Jokowi and Vice President Jusuf Kalla on Oct. 20 at the People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR). In his first speech as the country’s seventh president, Jokowi greeted Prabowo, referring to him as a good friend.

On Oct. 21, Prabowo visited Kalla’s office, saying that he hoped for further political reconciliation in Indonesia.(alz/dic)