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Party divisions give candidates blank checks
Golkar Party politicians were stunned last Monday by the sudden move from chairman Aburizal Bakrie to announce an alliance with the Gerindra Party, something that had previously been considered very unlikely
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G
olkar Party politicians were stunned last Monday by the sudden move from chairman Aburizal Bakrie to announce an alliance with the Gerindra Party, something that had previously been considered very unlikely.
'I supported Aburizal until the final minute. But, at the final stage, Golkar endorsed Prabowo-Hatta; I am done with that. I opt to support Kalla because it is a matter of choosing a figure and I know [Kalla's] credentials, on top of the fact that he is a former Golkar chairman,' Golkar senior member and former industry minister Fahmi Idris said, referring to Jusuf Kalla, the running mate of presidential candidate Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo, as well as rival candidate Prabowo Subianto and his running mate Hatta Rajasa.
Hence, it was inevitable that a large portion of the party's members expressed their criticism of Aburizal's decision and demanded an explanation for such an 'unacceptable' policy. Some even openly joined the rival camp of Jokowi-Kalla, such as Fahmi and Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan.
It seems that Golkar's formal support for Prabowo-Hatta will not translate into significant electoral benefits for the pair, regardless of the 14.75 percent of votes the party garnered in the legislative election. 'Aburizal is offering Prabowo a paralyzed political machinery,' Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) political observer Siti Zuhro said.
Similar situations are likely to have occurred in other parties.
The National Awakening Party (PKB), which formally endorsed Jokowi-Kalla, will also be struggling to consolidate its members nationwide, let alone supporters of the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), the country's largest Islamic organization, which the PKB has served to accommodate its political aspirations.
Former Constitutional Court chief justice Mahfud MD, a prominent PKB senior member, was appointed to lead the Prabowo-Hatta campaign team after he failed to win the race to become Jokowi's running mate. Analysts said Mahfud's move could divide PKB and NU members at the community level, taking into account some respected Islamic clerics who have expressed their support for Mahfud's move.
Aside from Mahfud, former PKB lawmaker Ali Masykur Musa, who is now a Supreme Audit Agency (BPK) commissioner, has also conveyed his support for Prabowo-Hatta.
Other figures affiliated with the PKB and NU who support the pair include Yenny Wahid, daughter of PKB founder and former president Abdurrahman 'Gus Dur' Wahid, as well as dangdut singer Rhoma Irama, who was once touted as a potential PKB presidential candidate.
When asked if these phenomena could affect the PKB's support for Jokowi-Kalla, chairman Muhaimin Iskandar said, 'Insyaallah [God willing], no.'
The Hanura Party's last-minute decision to join the Jokowi-Kalla camp has also resulted in many of its members jumping ship to join Prabowo-Hatta. Among them are chief patron and media mogul Hary Tanoesoedibjo and former finance minister Fuad Bawazier, both of whom have resigned from the Hanura party.
The National Mandate Party (PAN) has also encountered a similar situation, albeit less serious, after some of the party's minor members, such as Jakarta legislative councilor Wanda Hamidah, showed support for Jokowi-Kalla, despite Hatta, PAN's chairman, being nominated as Prabowo's runningmate.
Key 'splinter' figures
PRO JOKOWI-KALLA
'¢ Gen. (ret.) Luhut B Pandjaitan (Golkar)
Last Tuesday, Luhut, the deputy chairman of Golkar's advisory council, revealed that he had actually backed Jokowi's camp since Jokowi was declared the PDI-P's presidential candidate in April. 'I think Golkar's decision to support Prabowo is not right,' he said.
The next day, Luhut tendered his resignation to Golkar's advisory council head, Akbar, from his position as the latter's deputy. Luhut, who is Jokowi's friend and business partner, said he was still a Golkar member.
Luhut, who spent most of his military career in the Army's Special Forces (Kopassus), frequently expressed his dislike of Lt. Gen. (ret.) Prabowo, the force's former commander. Luhut has established close connections with other retired generals who are also known to be opposed to Prabowo, such as former Indonesian Military (TNI) deputy commander Gen. (ret.) Fachrul Razi and former Army deputy chief of staff Lt. Gen. (ret.) Johny J. Lumintang.
'¢ Indra J. Piliang (Golkar)
Known as a vocal politician, Indra has openly declared his defiance of Golkar's decision to join the Gerindra camp and support Prabowo's presidential bid. He and some other young Golkar politicians, such as lawmakers Meutya Hafid and Poempida Hidayatulloh, managed to mobilize fellow party members with similar views and group them under the Indonesian Youth Paradigm Movement Forum (FPGMI) last Tuesday.
A few days later, Indra announced his resignation from Golkar's research body. He has also openly declared his support for Jokowi-Kalla and joined the pair's campaign team.
'¢ Sutrisno Bachir (ex PAN)
After a period of silence following his resignation from politics in 2010, former PAN chairman and businessman Sutrisno surprised many by appearing at the declaration of a Jokowi-Kalla support team in Jakarta on Friday. He has also been listed as a member of the pair's campaign team.
'I have known Kalla for years and I also understand what type of leader Jokowi is,' he said when asked about the move. When asked why he did not opt to support Hatta, his successor at PAN, Sutrisno said, 'Jokowi and Kalla are very humble and close to the people. They are not the type of leaders who the people don't want today.'
'¢ Dahlan Iskan (Democratic Party)
State-owned Enterprises Minister Dahlan, who also controls the Jawa Pos media group, won the Democratic Party's presidential convention. But the party's chairman, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, declined to name him a presidential or vice-presidential candidate on the basis that the party did not garner a sufficient number of votes in the legislative election.
On Sunday, Kalla's camp confirmed speculation that Dahlan was supporting Jokowi-Kalla, regardless of his membership in the Democratic Party, which has opted to remain neutral ahead of the upcoming presidential election.
PRO PRABOWO-HATTA
'¢ Mahfud MD (PKB)
Mahfud seemed disappointed by the PKB's failure to nominate him as Jokowi's running mate following the party's decision to support the PDI-P's presidential candidate. A few days later, he was announced as the leader of the Prabowo-Hatta campaign team.
'I was contacted by the Prabowo-Hatta camp and I said I was willing to join them. I made the decision for the sake of Nahdlatul Ulama [NU] members and the nation,' Mahfud, who has a strong following in East Java, said. 'I will mobilize support to secure Prabowo's victory.'
'¢ Ali Masykur Musa (PKB)
Ali, a former PKB lawmaker who is now a Supreme Audit Agency (BPK) commissioner, was also a participant of the Democratic Party's convention. Unlike Dahlan, he has joined Prabowo's camp.
'My choice is in line with the preference of most of NU members,' he said on Sunday.
Ali refused to comment when asked about the PKB's decision to support Jokowi-Kalla. He also denied that he had been persuaded by Mahfud to join Prabowo's camp.
'¢ Hary Tanoesoedibjo (Hanura)
Hary, the president and CEO of the Media Nusantara Citra (MNC) Group, has had a relatively short political life but his maneuvers have nevertheless managed to create some surprises in the country's political arena.
Reports said that he had approached the Jokowi-Kalla camp even before Hanura made the decision to do so. But after Hanura eventually endorsed the pair, the party's executives were shocked by media reports over Hary's appearance at a meeting with the Prabowo-Hatta team.
The reports forced Hanura chairman Gen. (ret.) Wiranto to make a decision regarding Hary. 'Hary is not only a Hanura official. He is also an entrepreneur, so he has a lot of friends. Coincidentally, he was approached by both Jokowi and Prabowo,' Wiranto said last Tuesday. 'I have asked him to resign from the party.'
Hary joined Hanura in January 2013, only one-and-a-half years after he officially entered politics by joining the NasDem Party.
'¢ Fuad Bawazier (Hanura)
Fuad remained outspoken when expressing his disappointment over Hanura's decision to join the Jokowi-Kalla camp.
'Many Hanura members are actually Prabowo-Hatta supporters but they were reluctant to openly reject Hanura's decision [to support Jokowi-Kalla],' the former minister said. 'Hanura's locomotive to Jokowi is carrying empty cars.'
Like Hary, Fuad has tendered his resignation from Hanura. He also denied that he was pursuing a ministerial post by supporting Prabowo.
