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The Democratic Party-led coalition had set up a new structure to prevent the possibility of another fracture such as the rift over the Bank Century bailout, party secretary general Amir Syamsuddin said on Monday.

“We are learning from the past. The coalition’s management did not work effectively,” he told the Jakarta Globe. “Consequently, we saw what happened with the House special committee investigation into the Bank Century case.”

The leader of coalition partner Golkar, Aburizal Bakrie, has been appointed managing chairman of a joint secretariat that was established to oversee the coalition.

The House of Representatives voted in March that the bailout approved by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s technocrats Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati and Vice President Boediono was illegal, delivering a massive blow to the Democrats’ coalition. Three of six parties that agreed the bailout was illegal were coalition members: Golkar, the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) and the United Development Party (PPP).

Amir said the establishment of the secretariat was intended to improve political communication between coalition partners and the government to prevent future dissension. The secretariat would sort out political differences among members.

But Amir said Aburizal would not single-handedly dictate the secretariat’s stance over a disputed government policy. “The independence of the coalition members will be maintained,” he said.

The statement was backed by Golkar’s Priyo Budi Santoso, also deputy speaker of the House. “If that happened, then it would be doomsday for our democracy,” he said of another rift.

Priyo said Yudhoyono still held absolute control and the secretariat was not another body that would dictate how the nation was run.

“Both President Yudhoyono and Vice President Boediono are still the ones running the country. The secretariat has nothing to do with that and does not interfere with how country is run. The role of the secretariat is only to give policy suggestions to the government,” Priyo said.

House Speaker Marzuki Alie, a Democrat, said anybody who saw the establishment of the secretariat as Yudhoyono “bending” to any coalition partner was wrong.

“The secretariat is the result of an evaluation that shows that we still have political contracts to fulfill. Communication among us will be improved,” Marzuki said. He said it was not a novel idea because it was part of an agreement signed by the Democratic Party and its coalition partners in 2009.

In the agreement, there was actually a clause requiring the establishment of a joint secretariatas a forum for improved communication, Marzuki said.

“As to who ended up being appointed chairman, that came out of a joint agreement. That could change,” he said.

Amir said the timing, coming just after the resignation of Sri Mulyani as finance minister, was coincidental.

He said coalition leaders had discussed forming a joint secretariat a couple of weeks earlier.

Amir said the current structure, with Yudhoyono as chairman, Aburizal managing chairman and the Democrat’s Syarif Hasan secretary, was final.

Senior Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) politician Pramono Anung predicted the secretariat would not last long because each party had its own agenda and interests and would not want to be subordinate to any other.

Political analyst J Kristiadi said claims by the Democrats and Golkar aside, most people would believe Golkar was trying to steer Yudhoyono through the establishment of the secretariat.

“Maybe Yudhoyono finally approved the secretariat after realizing that most Democrat elites are weak when it comes to political strategies,” Kristiadi said.