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Text your say: Jokowi told to toe party line
Meet and greet: Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri and President Jokowi greet party members on the sidelines of the party congress in Sanur, Bali, on April 9
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span class="inline inline-center">Meet and greet: Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri and President Jokowi greet party members on the sidelines of the party congress in Sanur, Bali, on April 9. JP/Zul Trio Anggono
Your comments on the warning from Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri to President Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo to toe the party line, saying that the party's policies are consistent with what the public wants:
This looks like an impossible situation whereby Megawati tries to dictate what Jokowi has to do under the pretext that only she knows what the people want. Megawati should not get involved in things she does not understand.
Taco Macaco De Vries
I think Jokowi also has a broad mentality. People elected him for the progress of the nation, but it seems Megawati wants to bind him. I hope Jokowi goes ahead with his own developing theory. People have hope in him. But it seems Megawati want to use him as her puppet.
Amit
Jakarta
Jokowi was voted by the people. Ordering him to toe the PDI-P line is forcing the public to blindly follow this political party. Megawati doesn't realize that while the late president Sukarno belongs to the country; the country doesn't belong to him. PDI-P chairwoman Megawati's claim that Jokowi should execute PDI-P policies because they were nominated by the PDI-P is absolutely ridiculous.
The fact is that the President was elected by a majority of the Indonesian people ' only some of them are PDI-P members. Megawati should know that PDI-P plus its coalition partners are not strong enough to support Jokowi's presidency.
I think that Jokowi should find enough support from the Red-and-White Coalition to be able to govern strongly instead of dancing to the tune of the Demanding Lady.
Soebagjo Soetadji
Jakarta
It is rather sad, but then these politicians are thick-skinned and criticism is just water off a duck's back. The big disappointment is Jokowi, but then maybe he always knew his place and was used by the PDI-P to get the job.
Each time the people get fooled, as they genuinely think a new man will change things in Indonesia. Sorry electorate, never in a month of Sundays. You are stuck in your old ways, the politicians dislike democracy, the culture of deceit thrives, and it's business as usual.
David Wallis
Megawati found time in her speech to dismiss direct election mechanisms as an import from the West. Where they come from doesn't matter.
Dismissing direct elections isn't much different from asserting the divine right of kings. It turns the idea that the government is the employee of the people on its head and says the people will do what we say and we'll deal with anyone who thinks that we should be in any way accountable.
Fred Frogley
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Topic of the day
60th anniversary of the Asia-Africa conference
Indonesia will host at least 35 heads of state next week, who will attend the 60th commemoration of the Asia-Africa Conference in Bandung, West Java. The conference in 1955 inspired solidarity among Asian and African nations. What is the relevance of the conference to today's world?
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