The National Awakening Party's (PKB) central executive board chairman, Abdul Kadir Karding, confirmed on Tuesday that the United Development Party (PPP) had decided to leave the Red-and-White Coalition in favor of president-elect Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo's coalition, adding that the move also meant that the PPP would be supporting the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) leadership candidates proposed by Jokowi's Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P)-led coalition.

The PPP's decision was made after being lobbied by the PDI-P in the past few days.

'It is 100 percent certain that the PPP will join the [PDI-P's] coalition. The [lobbying] process has been completed,' Karding said as quoted by tribunnews.com.

Karding said that according to the PDI-P's proposed candidates for the MPR leadership, the Regional Representatives Council (DPD) would have one of its members nominated to be MPR speaker, while representatives from four parties, namely the PKB, the PPP, the PDI-P and the NasDem Party, would be nominated to be the assembly's deputy speakers.

Following the PPP's decision, he added, one party had to give up its chance to have one of its 36 elected legislators become an MPR speaker.

Karding said the Hanura Party had agreed to offer its seat for the MPR leadership to the PPP. 'It was amazing to see Hanura wholeheartedly agree to give a chance to the PPP to come join us,' he said, adding that the PPP had named Hasrul Azwar, one of its legislators, as one of the MPR candidates proposed by Jokowi's coalition.

Previously, the Red-and-White Coalition of Prabowo Subianto and Hatta Rajasa announced its own candidates for the MPR leadership, comprising a member of the Democratic Party to be MPR speaker, and representatives from three of its member parties ' the Golkar Party, the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) and the National Mandate Party (PAN) ' together with a member of the Regional Representatives Council (DPD) to be deputy speakers.

The election of the MPR speaker and four deputy speakers is set to take place Tuesday evening.(dyl/tah/ebf)(++++)