Jakarta. A small party that recently failed in its election debut to win a seat in the House of Representatives has expressed strong objection to the possible inclusion of the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) into the coalition supporting President-elect Prabowo Subianto.

The Gelora Party reminded Prabowo that before and during the election, PKS launched a massive smear campaign against him and his running mate, Gibran Rakabuming Raka.

Gelora Party Secretary-General Mahfuz Sidik said recently that PKS elite leaders often used divisive rhetoric to score political points.

The Gelora Party was initially a breakaway group from PKS but it later became a party and contested the February 14 general elections. Gelora has joined the Prabowo presidential campaign since the start of the election.

Budi Arie Setiadi, a key figure in the Prabowo camp, urged the coalition not to ignore inputs from the Gelora Party.

“We need to listen carefully to aspirations from fellow coalition members including Gelora, although the final decision will be made by Mr. Prabowo,” Budi said.

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