"We hope the people will remain calm and be assured that everything will run well and peacefully despite all contradicting political comments about it," Zulkifli Hasan said.
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The chairman of the Peoples Consultative Assembly (MPR), Zulkifli Hasan, reassured here on Friday that the inauguration of president-elect Joko Widodo and vice-president-elect Jusuf Kalla on October 20 will be smooth.

"We hope the people will remain calm and be assured that everything will run well and peacefully despite all contradicting political comments about it," he said.

He elaborated that the MPR and the General Election Commission (KPU) have already made preparations so the people must believe that the inauguration will function smoothly and peacefully.

"Yesterday we had a meeting with the KPU and this afternoon we will meet with Aburizal Bakrie, Prabowo and Amien Rais to seek their support for a smooth inauguration function," he said.

Aburizal Bakrie is the general chairman of the Golkar Party while Prabowo Subianto is a former presidential candidate and current general chairman of the Great Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra). Amien Rais is the chairman of the advisory board of the National Mandate Party (PAN) that Zulkifli belongs to.

Rumors that the inauguration will be sabotaged emerged following the victory of the Red-White coalition that supported Prabowos presidential bid to secure the leadership of the House of Representatives (DPR) and the MPR. The Great Indonesia coalition led by the Indonesia Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP) to which President-elect Joko Widodo belongs could not secure a single leadership role in either institution.

Zulkifli noted that this presidential inauguration will offer Indonesia an opportunity to show the world how well democracy has been implemented in the country.

The Red-White coalition consists of Golkar Party (the runner-up of the legislative elections on April 9), Gerindra, the United Development Party (PPP), the Prosperous Justice Party and the PAN.

The Great Indonesia coalition comprises the PDIP ( the winner of the legislative elections), the National Democrat Party, the Nation Awakening Party and the Peoples Conscience Party.

The ruling Democrat Party led by President Susilo Bambang joined the Red-White coalition during the election of the MPR and DPR leaderships.

However, in the MPR leadership election, the PPP switched sides to join the Great Indonesia coalition.(*)

Editor: Heru Purwanto
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