{
    "success": true,
    "data": {
        "id": 1675294,
        "msgid": "how-serious-is-nasdems-merger-with-gerindra-1776099050",
        "date": "2026-04-13 22:34:21",
        "title": "How Serious is Nasdem's Merger with Gerindra?",
        "author": "Fitriyan Zamzami",
        "source": "REPUBLIKA",
        "tags": "",
        "topic": "Politics",
        "summary": "Deputy General Chairman of Nasdem Party, Saan Mustopa, has dismissed rumours of a merger with Gerindra Party as mere discourse, emphasising that no serious internal discussions have taken place and highlighting the importance of ideology, identity, and party existence as barriers to such a move. He referenced the 1973 political party fusion in Indonesia but noted the vastly different democratic context today, while affirming Nasdem's focus on internal consolidation and full commitment to supporting President Prabowo Subianto's government. Saan also downplayed the insignificant number of cadres defecting to the Indonesian Solidarity Party as a normal political dynamic.",
        "content": "<p>Deputy General Chairman of Nasdem Party, Saan Mustopa, has emphasised\nthat the issue of a merger between Nasdem Party and Gerindra Party\nremains at the level of discourse and has not yet become a serious topic\nof discussion within the party. He admitted to being surprised by the\nemergence of the issue in public. He stated that in political\nterminology, the unification of parties is more appropriately termed a\n\u201cfusion\u201d rather than a merger or acquisition. \u201cBut in its development,\nwhen there is an idea or notion related to fusion, although it needs to\nbe considered and thought about, there are also other matters that must\nbe collectively considered, such as the context of ideology, the context\nof identity, and the existence of the party,\u201d Saan said when met by\nmedia at the Senayan parliamentary complex on Monday (13\/4\/2026). \u201cAnd\nonce again, the idea or discourse related to fusion is something\nordinary as a discourse, as an idea, as a notion. It just depends on how\nit is contextualised; there are many things that need to be considered,\u201d\nhe added. According to Saan, factors such as ideology, identity, and\nparty existence are crucial aspects in the discourse on fusion. Every\npolitical party, he said, is built on the idealism and ideas of its\nfounders, so it cannot be easily merged just like that. He also alluded\nto Indonesia\u2019s historical experience with the 1973 Political Party\nFusion, when several parties were combined into three major forces.\nHowever, Saan assessed that the political context at that time differs\nfrom the current more open and developed democratic conditions.\nFurthermore, Saan assured that to date, Nasdem is still focused on\nstrengthening the party\u2019s internal aspects, including consolidating\nstructures down to the regional level. \u201cBecause we are now still focused\non consolidating our internals, consolidating and building party\nstructures, party consolidation at the national, regional, and local\nlevels. So we are intensifying the consolidation and formation of party\nstructures down to the DPRT level. That\u2019s our focus today,\u201d he said.\nRegarding reports of a meeting between Nasdem General Chairman Surya\nPaloh and President Prabowo Subianto in Hambalang, Saan admitted he does\nnot know the exact content of the discussion. However, he viewed\nmeetings between coalition party leaders and the president as\ncommonplace. \u201cAs for the meeting between the general chairman, Mr Surya,\nwith President Mr Prabowo, it might have happened because Nasdem is part\nof the coalition party. This party is part of the government coalition,\u201d\nhe said. He added that Nasdem is fully committed to supporting President\nPrabowo\u2019s administration until the end of his term. Even though it does\nnot have many cadres in the government, Nasdem continues to provide\nmaximum support for the government\u2019s strategic programmes. \u201cAnd Nasdem\nin every political step certainly strives as much as possible so that\nwhat becomes the agenda, especially the priority programmes and also the\nstrategic programmes of the government under the leadership of President\nMr Prabowo, we strive maximally so that those agendas run well and\nsuccessfully,\u201d he said. In response to rumours of cadres moving to the\nIndonesian Solidarity Party, Saan stated that the number is not\nsignificant and can still be counted. He viewed cadre movements as a\nnormal political dynamic. \u201cWell, if it\u2019s said to be many, it can still\nbe counted on fingers, right. If it\u2019s many, it wouldn\u2019t be countable.\nThis can still be counted on fingers, those who moved. And the\nphenomenon of moving is normal, it doesn\u2019t only happen in Nasdem Party.\nSo it\u2019s a normal phenomenon, something ordinary for people to move from\none party to another,\u201d he said.<\/p>",
        "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/how-serious-is-nasdems-merger-with-gerindra-1776099050",
        "image": ""
    },
    "sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
    "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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