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View all search resultsSpecter of communism polarizes PDI-P
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A
s the only political party in the country to have welcomed politicians linked to the outlawed and now-defunct Indonesian Communist Party (PKI), the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) is accustomed to fielding accusations of communist sympathies.
The ruling party has survived decades of attacks on that premise, which PDI-P secretary-general Hasto Kristiyanto refers to as a “frequently fabricated political tactic to ruin the party’s electability”.
The issue also emerged during the 2014 presidential elections when the party nominated Joko “Jokowi” Widodo as its candidate. He was accused of being the son of a communist, but the slung mud did not stick. The PDI-P went on to secure the majority of votes in two consecutive elections.
The ploy was recently used again to attack the party for its support of the proposed Pancasila ideology guidelines (HIP) bill, but this time, the blow seems to have landed and has caused infighting between Puan Maharani and Prananda Prabowo, both of whom are children of PDI-P matron Megawati Soekarnoputri.
