The Mention Of The President As An Officer Of The Party Blaspheming The Principle Of Democracy

The President of the Republic of Indonesia, Joko Widodo and the PDIP Presidential Candidate, Ganjar Pranowo is always referred to as party officials by the PDIP Chairman, Megawati Soekarnoputri. (Between)

JAKARTA - Founder of the Indonesian Survey Circle (LSI) Denny Januar Ali revealed data from his survey wetness. Based on the latest poll results, the majority of the public does not agree with the principle of the president as a party official.

"The majority of the public does not agree with the principle of the president as a party official," said Denny JA in a written statement received in Jakarta, reported by Antara, September 7.

Based on the LSI Denny JA survey in the August 2023 period, only 16.8 percent of respondents agreed with the principle of the president as party officials.

"But the majority of 71.6 percent stated 'We do not agree with the principle of the president as a party official'," he said.

To declare that the president as a party official, according to Denny, not only violates the principles of democracy, but also is not written in the constitution. Why is the president not worthy of being called a party official even though he was promoted by the party during the presidential election?

The presidential phrase is that party officials were first popularized by PDI-P General Chair Megawati Soekarnoputri. This term then drew criticism from many parties. However, Megawati was not indifferent to the criticism directed at her.

He had a strong reason why he had to issue the sentence. According to the fifth President of the Republic of Indonesia, because it was his party that nominated President Jokowi for the first time to compete in the 2014 presidential election.

"That what is the presidential candidate, carried by one party or several parties. That person explained, how come I was bullied. I can't mention party cadres, I said Pak Jokowi, a party official, Hayo, wants to be bullied again," said Megawati when inaugurating Raya Mangrove in Surabaya on July 26.

Political observer from Al Azhar University Indonesia, Andriadi Achmad, believes that the president is a party official. According to Andriadi, even though the party nominated the president, the responsibility of the presidential candidate for the party stopped after he was elected in the presidential election. After that, the party must donate its best cadres to the state.

"The president is the highest leader in the country. So if there is an assumption that the president is a party official, it is intriguing and ambiguous. The president should be a servant of the people," Andriadi said when contacted by VOI.

Andriadi said that the president was a party official was a form of political party inequality. According to him, the party should be relieved to hand over the candidate he promoted to the state when he was elected in the presidential election, because the task of the political party was completed until the nomination.

This is an attitude of inequality and inequality of political parties. In the law, it is the party that can nominate the president. But after that the task of the political parties is complete. After being elected, the president should be donated to the state, no longer belongs to the party," Andriadi explained.

Andriadi further explained that the term president is a party official who has been popular lately made the situation unhealthy. This makes the president seem to be a political party hostage.

This is unhealthy. Leaders are servants of the people, not servants of political parties. When cadres become leaders, political parties should donate, so that the president has freedom. What is happening now seems to be a hostage for political parties," Andriadi continued.

For this reason, Andriadi hopes that there will be no more terms for the president to be party officials after the 2024 presidential election.

"Hopefully in 2024 there is no term president is a party official. The president is a people's officer and the political parties must grow up. Don't be naive and claim that the president is a party official. So, this nation in the future will be better," said Andriadi.

Meanwhile, Denny JA said the term party officer could backfire for PDI-P in the 2024 presidential election. Last May, the results of the LSI poll showed the electability of Gerindra Party presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto, ahead of his two competitors, Ganjar Pranowo and Anies Baswedan.

Prabowo is considered the most imaging leader who is believed to be able to grow the economy. In addition, the term party official who is attached to Ganjar is also said to be one of the reasons for the electability of the former Governor of Central Java is not as good as Prabowo.

"Image or the name of party officials has slightly reduced the figure of the leader who is addressed to the existing presidential candidates," said LSI researcher Denny JA, Adrian Sopa, in a YouTube broadcast of LSI Denny JA last May.

"The term of party officials weakens Ganjar's figure in front of Prabowo, who is the founder and chairman of the party," said Ardian.