President Appeals for Political Stability

RUSMAM - BIRO PERS SEKRETARIAT PRESIDEN

Presiden Joko Widodo menggandeng tangan Ketua Umum PDI-P Megawati Soekarnoputri saat mengantarkan ke mobilnya setelah pelantikan Megawati sebagai Ketua Dewan Pengarah Badan Pembinaan Ideologi Pancasila 2022-2027, di Istana Negara, Jakarta, Selasa (7/6/2022). Selain Megawati dilantik pula anggota Dewan Pengarah BPIP lainnya, juga Kepala dan Wakil Kepala BPIP.

JAKARTA, KOMPAS – President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has pointed out that political stability must prevail toward the accomplishment of the 2024 General Election. He is concerned about political stability, which is crucial in the face of a tough challenge ahead due to global economic uncertainty, being potentially disturbed despite what is being perceived as a change in the political direction by government-supporting political parties.

The President made his appeal for a stabilized political situation at the State Palace in Jakarta on Monday (10/10/2022) when asked about his meeting with the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) chairperson Megawati Soekarnoputri, who was also the fifth head of state.

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The meeting between the two took place at the Batutulis Palace, Bogor, West Java, on Saturday (8/10), which came five days after the Nasdem Party had declared Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan as a presidential candidate for 2024. The Nasdem Parrty is one of the political parties in a coalition that supports the Jokowi-Ma'ruf Amin administration.

President Jokowi said he had intensely held meetings not only with Megawati but also with other political parties’ top leaders. "I have met with the leaders of the main political parties in order to oversee political stability, because the global economic situation is volatile, uncertain, unpredictable and incalculable," he said.

That's what we are concerned about. Therefore, I have intensely been talking to party leaders about it.

The President was cautious about the impacts of the global economy on the domestic economy. "Let us not [be distracted] ahead of the election, while there are big problems in the global economy that may disrupt our economy. That's what we are concerned about. Therefore, I have intensely been talking to party leaders about it," he said.

Coalition commitment

Concerns about possible disruption in the political situation in the wake of the Nasdem Party’s presidential candidacy declaration were also implied in the statement of the PDI-P secretary Hasto Kristiyanto made in Yogyakarta on Monday. He said that his party had no inclination to interfere with the policy of other political parties regarding the presidential nomination. However, he warned political parties in the government coalition axis were bound to ethical consensus to stay staunch in ushering the Jokowi-Amin administration toward the end of their office-term in October 2024.

KOMPAS/IGA BAGUS ANGGA PUTRA

PDI-P Secretary Hasto Kristiyanto

The political axis proponents were urged to stay committed to the government's priority policies, including in the nomination of a figure for a presidential candidate. He cautioned the political parties in the government coalition against choosing a figure who has a different policy from the President. “That would be counter-productive,” he said.

On the Nasdem Party’s presidential nomination, he said, “We don't bother with it because political parties have their own [political] calculations. The PDI-P does not interfere with the sovereignty of other parties. [What has become our concern] is that the priority program administered by President Jokowi

may deviate into a premature contest of the presidency, especially when the candidate for the presidential election has differed in policy from that of Pak Jokowi.”

The Nasdem Party Deputy Chairman Ahmad Ali said that the Nasdem Party’s presidential nomination declaration and its existence as a political party in the government coalition were two different things and assured it would not create a conflict of interest.

He said the Nasdem Party was committed to support the Jokowi government from 2014 to 2024 and it was reaffirmed by the party leader Surya Paloh when he decided to go for Anies Baswedan as the party's presidential candidate.

KOMPAS/RONY ARIYANTO NUGROHO

Chairman of the National Democratic Party Surya Paloh (right) with DKI Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan (left) at the Announcement of Presidential Candidates for the 2024 Election carried by the National Democratic Party (Nasdem) at Nasdem Tower, Jakarta, on Monday (3/10/2022).

Putting Anies in opposition in policy to Jokowi, said Ahmad, is incorrect because the Jakarta governor has carried on with a number of development programs first initiated by Jokowi as his predecessor.

He said the Nasdem Party's commitment to maintain political stability under the government could not be doubted. "Nasdem will never leave the government coalition. That's the commitment we built with several other parties that support Pak Jokowi," he said.

Algoritma Research and Consulting executive director Aditya Perdana sees it as common that the Nasdem Party's move over a presidential candidate has drawn concerns about political repercussions.

What appears to be uncommon is, according Aditya, there is no precedent that a political party bulges away from a government coalition to announce its own presidential nominee long before the election.

The move is feared to result in the political party shifting its view from supporting to opposing the government’s policies. What must be anticipated, he said, is the possibility of other government’s political parties following in the footsteps of the Nasdem Party. (NIA/WKM)

(This article was translated by Musthofid)