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Should I reconsider voting for PDI-P and Ganjar next year?
Even Megawati's die-hard supporters have expressed their rage because the PDI-P has killed a very rare opportunity to host a World Cup soccer event.
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Big loss: An employee places a flower board inside the Bung Karno Stadium premises on Thursday from Indonesian soccer fans who were disappointed by the country’s loss of its right to host the FIFA U-20 World Cup. (Antara/Rivan Awal Lingga)
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ndonesian Democratic of Struggle (PDI-P) chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri should be very satisfied because her power and the charisma of her father Sukarno have prevented the Israeli youth soccer team from playing on Indonesian soil, albeit at the expense of Indonesia’s dream of hosting the FIFA U-20 World Cup. Megawati should pride herself too for having internationally humiliated President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo in retaliation for his opposition to her ambition to nominate her daughter Puan Maharani for next year’s presidential election.
Megawati, who doubts opinion survey results, can also smile because of her success in felling Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo, who has consistently topped opinion polls on potential presidential candidates. Ganjar has angered the public for openly opposing the participation of Israel in the tournament to which Indonesia was to play host. The people said Ganjar should have shut up on this issue and many of them believe he has committed a major blunder.
It seems Megawati is brimming with confidence now.
But according to a friend, Ganjar should have strong grounds. “If he is really stupid, he doesn’t deserve the presidency. I know Ganjar is a seasoned politician and smart. There must be another more credible explanation other than stupidity why he knowingly jeopardized his chances,” he said.
As a disclaimer, I intended to vote for the PDI-P and Ganjar in the Feb. 14, 2024 legislative and presidential elections. I was raised in a family who traditionally supported the nationalist party, although I did not always vote for it.
As an expression of admiration for founding president Sukarno, the PDI-P cited his teachings and persistent support for Palestine as the main argument to oppose the participation of the Israeli team in the U-20 competition, which was initially slated to be played in six cities across the country, including Surakarta in Central Java. I do not know whether it is relevant that this legacy should be strictly followed or needs some adjustments now because Sukarno exercised the policy more than 60 years ago, when newly independent Indonesia badly needed international support.
Indonesia is a staunch supporter of an independent Palestine. We will never establish diplomatic relations with Israel until Palestine becomes a fully independent state. We have condemned Israel’s brutalities against the Palestinians many times at the United Nations General Assembly and other multilateral forums. The Palestinians know Indonesia’s consistency, which is why they had no objection to Israel’s participation in the soccer tournament being played in Indonesia.
