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Setya’s win fails to heal Golkar rift
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Final decision: Sole judge Cepi Iskandar leads the hearing of a pretrial motion requested by House of Representatives Setya Novanto to challenge his suspect naming at the South Jakarta District Court on Sept.29. (Antara/Reno Esnir)
T
hree days after the South Jakarta District Court annulled his status as a suspect in the highprofile e-ID graft case, House of Representatives speaker Setya Novanto reportedly left hospital on Monday, where he had been receiving medical treatment for a week.
But the turmoil within the Golkar Party, which he leads, remains intense, with opponents of his leadership insisting Setya should temporarily step down and initiate a party plenary meeting to appoint an acting chairman.
The Corruption Eradication Commission’s (KPK) indication that it is likely to rename Setya a suspect has also been taken into the equation, prompting Setya’s supporters to swing over and enter “wait and see” mode.
On the other hand, the opposition camp may also jump ship after rumors circulated that President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo could soon give his blessing to allowing the controversial and seasoned politician retain Golkar’s top post. Setya is believed to be one of Jokowi’s key allies, especially as far as the government’s interests at the House are concerned.
But Yorrys Raweyai, one of Setya’s most outspoken critics, claimed that Jokowi would support party executive and Industry Minister Airlangga Hartarto temporarily taking over the party’s leadership as acting chairman until the country’s second-largest political party holds a national meeting to officially select a new chairman in 2019.
Other Golkar executives concurred with Yorrys, but they requested anonymity out of concern for their positions in the party.
Factions opposed to Setya’s leadership within Golkar have argued that his legal problems have taken a toll on the party’s electability, saying Setya should resign to save the party.
