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Jokowi's volunteer rally riles party elites
President is flexing his political muscle by mobilizing his volunteer groups, analysts say
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President Joko “Jokowi“ Widodo waves to his supporters during a mass rally at the Gelora Bung Karno stadium on Saturday. (kompas.com/Kristianto Purnomo)
T
hrough a mass gathering of tens of thousands of his loyal supporters over the weekend, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo signaled to party elites that while his days in office might be numbered, the President still commands a sizable following and is seeking to influence the 2024 election to preserve his legacy, analysts say.
Political parties, however, have responded coolly to the President’s playing to his gallery, saying that his volunteer groups are only using him.
Saturday’s gathering, which was organized by Jokowi’s volunteer group called Gerakan Nusantara Bersatu (United Nusantara Movement) and attended by thousands of supporters, drew swift criticism from various political parties, including the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), of which the President is a member.
“President Jokowi has accomplished a lot, we shouldn’t let certain groups damage his reputation through this political maneuvering”, said Hasto Kristiyanto in a written statement. While the PDI-P’s secretary-general praised Jokowi’s accomplishments, he warned against bad influence from the higher-ranking members of Jokowi’s volunteer group as well as the President’s inner circle.
Two of the President’s allies, Aminuddin Ma’ruf and Arsyad Rasyid, are said to be the main organizers of Saturday’s rally. Aminuddin, a former chairman of the Indonesian Muslim Students Movement (PMII), is on the President’s expert staff, while Arsyad is a businessman now chairing the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce (KADIN).
Political muscle-flexing
