The chairman of a political party is a symbol. Problem in the party’s leadership will simultaneously affect the party as a whole.
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The chairman of a political party is a symbol. Problem in the party’s leadership will simultaneously affect the party as a whole. It happened to Setya Novanto and Golkar.
The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) on Monday formally detained Novanto as a suspect in the high profile electronic ID graft case. The number-one man of the yellow-jacketed party ended up wearing the KPK’s orange vest.
We still have to uphold the principle of presuming innocence. Nevertheless, we also cannot turn a blind eye to the course of events regarding court hearings related to the electronic ID card graft case that have indicated the alleged involvement of Novanto. Judges will have to prove it.
The Golkar Party faces a difficult situation. A number of Golkar Party elites have admitted the case has eroded the popularity of the party. One indication of this is the number of meme’s mocking Novanto that have gone viral and feature as a daily trending topic on social media.
In fact, the 2018 regional elections held in 171 constituencies are in sight. The following year, legislative and presidential elections will be held simultaneously. In previous elections, Golkar’s popularity has been declining, and even where there was a rise in support, it was not significant.
In the 1999 elections, Golkar received 23.7 million votes (22.4 percent), in 2004 24.4 million votes (21.6 percent), in 2009 15.03 million votes (14.5 percent) and in 2014 18.4 million votes (14.7 percent). Golkar’s number of seats in the House has continued to decline. In the 1999 elections, they occupied 25.9 percent of seats in the House, falling in 2004 to 23.1 percent. In 2009, it fell again to 18.9 percent and 2014 it fell further to 16.3 percent.
The expert council of the party recommended to immediately hold an extraordinary national congress, no later than the end of December to elect a new chairman.
When formulating the vision of 100 years of Indonesian independence during the leadership of former chairman Aburizal Bakrie, Golkar set a target to return to power as ruling party in 2024. If the popularity of Golkar in the 2019 elections continues the decline, the vision is almost impossible to realize.
The problem that befell Golkar is also the concern of the nation. As a political force, Golkar is certainly a national asset. The impact of Golkar, which has ruled the country for 32 years, cannot be denied. The party has contributed much to the nation. We need to encourage Golkar to solve its problems. Golkar needs to take measures that are not only fast, but also appropriate.
The day after Novanto was arrested, the Central Executive Board of Golkar held a plenary session. The expert council of the party recommended to immediately hold an extraordinary national congress, no later than the end of December to elect a new chairman.
Since the chairman is a party symbol, the right figure will determine the fate of Golkar’s future. It is important to ponder these words of wisdom: "Choose a leader who builds bridges, not fortresses; books, not weapons; morality, not corruption; truth, not lies." Through this, Golkar will be a party that remains relevant in the current era and in the future.