In a fresh blow to the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), which has seen its ties with member President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo hit an all-time low, another party member has elected to leave the party in favor of taking Jokowi’s side ahead of February’s presidential election.

Taking to Instagram, Maruarar Sirait announced on Monday his resignation from the PDI-P. The announcement came with a picture of Maruarar meeting Jokowi, and some videos showing him handing in his PDI-P membership card to deputy secretary-general Utut Adianto.

“I’d like to apologize that I can no longer be with the PDI-P because I have a belief, like the majority of the Indonesian people, that Pak Jokowi [is the right person] to advance our nation,” Maruarar said.

Jokowi is barred from running for a third term, but he has openly admitted that he has been playing kingmaker in the hunt for a successor, who could continue his legacy programs. His eldest son Gibran Rakabuming Raka is now running for vice president alongside frontrunner Prabowo Subianto on the ticket of the PDI-P’s rival Gerindra Party.

Maruarar on Monday also expressed his gratitude to a number of senior PDI-P politicians and party matriarch Megawati Soekarnoputri and secretary-general Hasto Kristiyanto.

“I am grateful that, all this time, I was able to serve in politics [and the people] through the PDI-P. We have gone through quite a lot of ups and downs together,” he added.

Maruarar is the son of Sabam Sirait, late PDI-P senior politician and a close friend of Megawati. Maruarar served as a House of Representatives member for the PDI-P from 2004 to 2019.

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