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Titiek Soeharto leaves Golkar, joins Tommy at Berkarya
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In memory: Two daughters of late former president Soeharto, Siti Hediati Hariyadi, also known as Titiek Soeharto (left), and Siti Hutami Endang Adiningsih, known as Mamiek Soeharto (right), attend the 51st anniversary of Supersemar at Taman Mini Indonesia Indah, East Jakarta, on Sunday.
(Antara/Ubaidillah)
S
iti Hediati Herijadi, better known as Titiek Soeharto, the second daughter of former president Soeharto, declared on Monday her withdrawal from the Golkar Party.
"I have decided to withdraw from the Golkar Party and choose to fight for the interests of the people through the Berkarya Party," she said in Yogyakarta on Monday as quoted by kompas.com.
The Berkarya Party was founded in 2016 by Titiek's younger brother, Hutomo “Tommy” Mandala Putra, and will take part in the 2019 legislative elections. Tommy himself is a former Golkar member who left in 2016 after a failed bid for chairmanship
Titiek said she was moved to make the decision out of concern for the direction in which the country was heading, citing the influx of foreign workers and continued food imports as examples.
"I want to scream to protest and voice the people's conscience, but I was unable to do that because I was a member of Golkar, which is one of the parties that support the government," she said.
She further said she was prepared to relinquish her seat in the House of Representatives as a consequence of her withdrawal, adding that she was confident she would be able to win it back next year.
Titiek had been a Golkar member since 2012 and won a House seat with the party in 2014.
Golkar was Soeharto's political vehicle from 1971 until the end of his regime in 1998. (kmt/ahw)
