Ichsan Ali & Heru Andriyanto, Jakarta – President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo keeps the public guessing about his current affiliation with the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), the political platform that propelled him to victory in two presidential terms.
Tensions have flared within PDI-P ranks following the decision of Jokowi's son, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, to join presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto's campaign as a running mate, a move at odds with the party's own nominee.
Gibran, a former PDI-P member who secured the mayoral position in Solo three years ago, has now ascended to the position of vice president-elect, courtesy of the nomination by the Golkar Party. This significant political shift has further strained relations between Jokowi and the PDI-P, as the Golkar Party now trails the PDI-P by just 1 percentage point, becoming the second-largest party following the last legislative election.
Despite these developments, both Jokowi and PDI-P Chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri have refrained from publicly addressing the circumstances surrounding the apparent rift in their relationship, which reached its nadir with Gibran's departure for the Prabowo camp and his closer alignment with the Golkar Party.
Komarudin Watubun, head of the PDI-P's honor council, said earlier this week that Jokowi and Gibran are no longer affiliated with the party.
"They have crossed the aisle, so they cannot be considered PDI-P members," Komarudin asserted to reporters.
When queried about this statement on Wednesday, Jokowi simply smiled and offered a "thank you" before departing, leaving journalists puzzled during an event in Tangerang.
The full extent of the discord remains unclear, particularly since the PDI-P retains its members serving in Jokowi's cabinet.
Following the Constitutional Court's amendment of the election law last October, which enabled Gibran's candidacy despite not meeting the minimum age requirement, Megawati criticized the ruling as a "fabrication of the justice system," refraining from direct references to Jokowi and Gibran.
Gibran contends that numerous PDI-P members extended congratulations immediately after the February 14 election, and he has actively advocated for a reconciliation meeting between his father and Megawati.
However, staunch PDI-P executives oppose such overtures, maintaining that the party is prepared to assume an opposition role once Prabowo assumes the presidency alongside Gibran in October.
During the Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono presidency from 2004-2014, the PDI-P served as the opposition force to the government.
Source: https://jakartaglobe.id/news/jokowi-maintains-enigmatic-relationship-with-pdi