ANALYST SAYS YUDHOYONO-PRABOWO MEETING BENEFITS BOTH SIDES

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, March 11 (Antara) - President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who is chief patron of the Democratic Party (PD) and Prabowo Subianto, chief patron of the Great Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra), met for two hours at the Presidential Office on Monday.          Political analyst Saleh Partaonan Daulay said the meeting between President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Prabowo Subianto had strategic meaning and benefited both sides.          The meeting was held at the invitation of the President but before they met the agenda of their meeting was not disclosed to the curious media.          "I am invited by the President, possibly to discuss several issues but I myself do not know the substance of the agenda. I think it concerns economic issues and other matters," Prabowo said before the meeting.          Presidential Spokesman Julian Aldrian Pasha did not either explain the agenda of the meeting. "The substance of their meeting would be explained after the meeting," Julian said.          Deputy Chairman of Gerindra Fadli Zon who accompanied Prabowo during the meeting said earlier the invitation was dispatched by Minister/State Secretary Sudi Silalahi on Saturday.          He said that he did not know the agenda of their talks, expressing his appreciation of the president's invitation. Fadli said however that a friendship meeting was something important in politics and could build political maturity.          When asked on whether they would discuss a political coalition in the face of the 2014 presidential race,  Prabowo said he had no idea. "Let's see later. Politics is dynamics," he was quoted by "Suara Pembaruan Online" as saying.