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Notable Figures
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The NasDem Party is the fifth-largest political party in Indonesia. It was founded by media mogul and food-catering businessman Surya Paloh in July 2011, not long after he left the Golkar Party. Therefore, the NasDem Party holds a similar mass base to that of Golkar. |
NasDem leans to a secular-nationalist ideology and among the party’s missions described on its official websites are “creating a just democracy” and “a democratic economy.”
In the past, the party has been in support of policies that are oriented toward economic development such as the controversial Job Creation Law, which aims to improve ease of business through deregulation and cutting red tape.
NasDem supported President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo in both of his runs for the presidency and has been part of the government coalition since it secured seats in the House of Representatives in 2014.
Creation
The NasDem Party's history began in 2010 with the creation of the National Democrats mass organization, also known as NasDem, by Surya Paloh. This move followed his departure from Golkar after 43 years of membership. Many NasDem co-founders and executives are from Golkar, with a few from other parties.
Critics believe Surya established NasDem to build a new political base after losing the Golkar chairmanship race in 2009. However, NasDem's leaders asserted that the organization was apolitical.
A year later, Surya founded a political party with the same name as the mass organization, claiming they were not affiliated despite sharing headquarters, names and logos.
Disrupting Golkar
Just before the NasDem Party's creation, Golkar ordered its members in the NasDem mass organization to leave the group. Some complied, but others chose to join Surya's new party instead.
Shortly after forming, the NasDem Party welcomed another media mogul Hary Tanoesodibjo.Media campaigns by MNC Group and Surya's company significantly contributed to NasDem's success in the 2014 general election.
Surya Paloh became NasDem's chairman in 2013, leading to Hary's departure to the Hanura Party.
Early successes
NasDem was the sole new party approved by the General Elections Commission for the 2014 election, garnering 8.4 million votes (6.3 percent of the total vote) and securing 35 seats in the House.
NasDem ranked eighth out of the 15 parties participating in the election, defeating older and more established parties such as the Islam-based United Development Party (PPP) and the Crescent Star Party (PBB).
In the 2014 and 2019 presidential races, NasDem supported Jokowi, resulting in ministerial posts in his cabinet.
Breaking up with Jokowi
President Jokowi distanced himself from NasDem in late 2022 due to the party's alliance with opposition parties backing Anies Baswedan, who was the same person that read out the NasDem mass organization’s political manifesto during its founding way back in 2010, for the 2024 presidential election.
This electoral alliance, known as the Coalition of Change for Unity (KPP), included NasDem, the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) and the Democratic Party.
While NasDem initially had nationalist support, it has aligned with Islamic parties and figures with strong ties to Islamic groups ahead of the 2024 elections.
In September, NasDem surprisingly joined forces with the pro-government National Awakening Party (PKB), founded by Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), to pair Anies with PKB leader Muhaimin Iskandar for the presidential elections.
This move led to the Democratic Party's departure from the KPP alliance, as they expected the vice-presidential slot for their chairman, Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono.
Voted in favor of the following policies:
Omnibus Job Creation Law
Capital City Nusantara (IKN) Law
New and Renewable Energy Law
Revision of the Criminal Code
Revision of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) Law
Revision of the Electronic Information and Transactions (ITE) Law
Sexual Violence Eradication Law
Indigenous Community Law
Voted against the following policies:
None.
Convicted high-profile members:
1. Patrice Rio Capella
Patrice was the NasDem Party’s first chairman from 2011 to 2013 and its secretary-general from 2013 to 2015. In 2015, he was sentenced to one year and six months in prison by the Jakarta Corruption Court.
Patrice was found guilty of accepting Rp 200 million from Evi Susanti, the wife of former North Sumatra governor Gatot Pujo Nugroho. Gatot claimed the money was given to Patrice on the understanding that the latter would lobby Attorney General HM Prasetyo, a party colleague, regarding Gatot's own corruption case, which involved the alleged misuse of North Sumatra social funds.
The NasDem Party has denied that Prasetyo had any knowledge of the money paid to Patrice.
2. Johnny G. Plate
In May 2023, the Attorney General's Office (AGO) named then communications and information minister Johnny G. Plate, who was also the secretary-general of NasDem, a suspect in a graft case related to the procurement of base transceiver stations (BTS) for a government 4G telephony project.
The AGO said the alleged corruption caused Rp 8.1 trillion in state losses, far higher than its previous estimation of Rp 1 trillion. The trial is ongoing.
NasDem Party members’ corruption tally: *
* Information courtesy of BijakMemilih.id
