Jakarta (Antara Babel) - Deputy secretary general of the National Mandate Party (PAN) Teguh Juwarno said the Red and White Coalition (KMP)is 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 in a Blackberry message on Friday.
He said KPM is not bound by the same ideology that it is natural that there are prediction that KMP would break up.
He said the leadership posts at Parliament were already divided proportionally among the KMP members.
What is left to keep the coalition together is their mutual interest in passing the law on regional election system through DPRD, he said.
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.
"KMP members could hold the same view over certain issue but the possibility is there that they oppose against each other in other issues.
"They could remain solid only if KMP become a political party," he said.
Earlier, a chairman of the Gerindra party Desmond J Mahesa said the issue over the election system for regional leader puts the solidity of KMP at stake.
"It remains united or would split," he said.
If the coalition gave up to pressure and agreed with direct election KMP could break up as "KMP has different dream." he added.
He expressed doubt that Golkar, the largest member of KPM, would agree to share with other KMP members in direct election .
KMP leaders have reaffirmed their support for direct election for regional leaders against their original decision after their meeting on Thursday night with Democrat Party general chairman former President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY).
Desmond said by agreeing to direct election KMP has departed from its original target of ideological struggle.
A Golkar politician M Misbakhun said KMP has no strong non ideological ties to bind it together.
Misbakhun acknowledged that Golkar would be the one to gain much from the system of electing regional leaders by DPRD.
However, Golkar Secretary General Idrus Marham said the KMP remained solid pointing to the meeting on Thursday night.
The meeting followed friction between the Democrat Party and KMP especially Golkar over the the government regulation in lieu of law (Perppu) .
Perppu, which was issued by SBY when he was still president calls for the cancellation of a law that rules election of regional leaders by DPRD.
SBY and his Democrat party, which chooses not to join either one of the opposing coalitions in the parliament had agreed to side with KMP on condition KMP would agree with his Perppu .
In its recent national congress in Bali, Golkar decided to reject Perppu .
Feeling betrayed by Golkar, SBY began to seek alliance with KIH, prompting KMP to make amend by meeting SBY on Thursday night.
After thye meeting SBY said both Golkar and Gerindar leaders agreed not to reject the Perppu.
