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PDI-P to summon Effendi after PSBI members root for Prabowo
A senior PDI-P member appears to have put himself in the ruling party’s crosshairs after hosting an “apolitical” external event last Friday, where some participants had cheered “Prabowo for president!”
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The logo of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) is pictured on a banner on Aug. 8, 2019, ahead of the opening ceremony for the fifth PDI-P congress in Sanur, Bali, which ran until Aug. 11. (JP/Zul Trio Anggono )
The ruling Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) plans to summon its senior member Effendi Simbolon for clarification after he appeared to throw his weight behind Gerindra Party chair Prabowo Subianto, a potential rival to the ruling party's presidential candidate Ganjar Pranowo.
A long-time PDI-P member, Effendi raised eyebrows after he invited Defense Minister Prabowo on Friday to an internal event of the Punguan Simbolon Dohot Boruna Indonesia (PSBI), an organization he chairs that groups together members of the Batak clan, Simbolon. During the event, some participants appeared to be rooting for Gerindra’s presumptive nominee to become the country’s next president.
In response to questions from the media on whether Effendi had crossed the party line, PDI-P secretary-general Hasto Kristiyanto said the party’s ethics council would be summoning the 58-year-old politician for clarification.
“We will be seeking clarification first, and then the ethics council, as stated in the party’s internal rules, will recommend that the central board make a conclusion,” Hasto said on Saturday.
If Effendi was found to have violated the party’s statutes, it would take disciplinary action against him, he added.
Prior to the controversial event, PDI-P chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri had instructed all members of the party to fully back Ganjar's 2024 presidential bid, while Hasto said the party’s ethics council would look into any member who strayed from the party line.
Read also: Ganjar’s popularity irks PDI-P elites
