Jakarta – Ratu Tatu Chasanah, the sister of disgraced Banten Governor Ratu Atut Chosiyah, on Friday officially took over the leadership of the Golkar Party's Banten chapter, retaining the family's grip on the province in spite of graft cases implicating members of the family.
In a ceremony at Hotel Ratu in Serang, Banten, Golkar Party chairman Aburizal Bakrie officially installed Tatu, who replaces Atut's late husband, Hikmat Tomet, who died from a stroke in November last year.
Tatu, who currently serves as Serang deputy regent, was optimistic that under her leadership, the Golkar Party would win back voters in Banten despite the recent arrest of her siblings, Ratu Atut and Tubagus Chaeri "Wawan" Wardana, by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) for their alleged involvement in multiple graft cases.
"This political disaster has been reported widely by mass media. Golkar has become an ugly cocoon. But, I believe it will metamorphose into a beautiful butterfly," she said in her maiden speech.
"The KPK has worked remarkably. The mass media has also been remarkable. Golkar will support the ongoing legal process. We keep legal and political affairs separate," she said in front of hundreds of Golkar members who turned up for her inauguration
Also at the ceremony, Aburizal installed Tubagus Haerul Jaman, Serang regent and Tatu's stepbrother, as a treasurer of the Golkar Party's Banten chapter.
Tatu rose to power after winning the party's regional race for the chair by a slight margin last December.
From 12 eligible votes – representing Golkar's central board, Banten regional branches and three regional support organizations – Tatu managed to secure six votes, one more than her rival, Cilegon Mayor Tubagus Iman Ariyadi.
Many have speculated that her election as leader of the regional party chapter will pave the way for her to become Banten deputy governor should her sister, Ratu Atut Chosiyah, the current governor, be dismissed and replaced by her deputy, Rano Karno.
Rano, an Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) politician, has said he is ready to replace Ratu Atut, who despite her detention retains her grip on the position. The appointment of Tatu has received both support and rejection from the party's executives.
Senior Golkar leader Fadel Muhammad suggested that the appointment would only worsen the "political storm" around the Atut dynasty, while Golkar Advisory Council chair Akbar Tandjung, suggested it would reinforce the false perception that Golkar in Banten was a family party.
Atut's family's web of power in the province has benefited the party since she became deputy governor in 2002, making Atut's family important to the Golkar Party. Different members of Atut's family control five of Banten's eight regencies and municipalities, including Tatu; her sister-in-law South Tangerang Mayor Airin Rachmi Diany; her stepbrother Tubagus Haerul Jaman, who serves as Serang's mayor; and her stepmother, Pandeglang Deputy Regent Heryani. All are Golkar politicians.
KPK named Atut a suspect in multiple graft cases in December last year. She was initially charged with instructing her brother, Wawan, to bribe former Constitutional Court chief justice Akil Mochtar in exchange for a favorable ruling for Lebak Deputy Regent Amir Hamzah in an election dispute case. The KPK then expanded its probe and discovered that Atut and Wawan were also working together to embezzle provincial funds.
Analyst Yunarto Wijaya of the Charta Politika think tank predicted that the appointment of Tatu would bring Golkar's electability to a new low.
"The Golkar Party has suffered declining electability since 2009. Prior to Atut's arrest, there was strong resistance to Atut. The appointment of another member of Atut's family will strengthen negative perceptions toward the party and Atut," he said.
Yunarto added that the appointment would diminish the party's chances of getting more voters in the April legislative election. "Critical voters and those against Atut will [not vote for] Golkar. This major party has succumbed to a local political issue," he said.