Introduction To Megawati Soekarnoputri's Speech As A Voice Of Conscience Democracy

Megawati Soekarnoputri delivered a speech entitled 'Poor Conscience' on Sunday (12/11/2023). (PDIP YouTube screenshot)

JAKARTA The speech of PDIP General Chair Megawati Soekarnoputri, entitled'VOICE of Conscience' on Sunday (12/11/2023) became a discussion. According to a number of experts, Megawati has expressed her thoughts so far through the speech.

In a more than 10 minutes long speech, Megawati alluded to various problems that have occurred in recent political dynamics.

There are two things that are in the spotlight of President Soekarno's daughter's speech, namely regarding political intimidation and fraudulent practices in the election. Megawati invites the public to oversee the election process so that fraud does not occur at every stage.

"People should not be intimidated like before, don't let election fraud, which has recently been seen starting to happen again," Megawati said in her speech.

"In a situation like this, let's guard the 2024 General Election with full conscience, we make the 2024 General Election a momentum to get the best leader who truly represents the will of all Indonesian people," said Megawati again.

This is the first time Megawati has spoken to the public after her relationship with Jokowi surfaced recently, as well as the polemic of the Constitutional Court's decision (MK).

Megawati and Jokowi's harmony faded once the Constitutional Court granted the request that the Presidential Candidate and Vice Presidential Candidates may be under the age of 40, on the condition that they have or are in public office which is chosen through the General Election. This decision is a red carpet for President Joko Widodo's eldest son, Gibran Rakabuming Raka running as a candidate for vice president from the Advanced Indonesia Coalition.

After the speech took place, a number of political figures and observers commented on the content of Megawati's speech. One of them is senior PDIP politician Aria Bima. He said Megawati not only positioned herself as the chairman of the party that carried Ganjar Pranomo and Mahfud MD, but because she saw an attempt to cheat in the 2024 election.

It was emphasized that there are practices that remind the New Order regime, 'rich Aria.

Megawati's expression of anxiety as outlined in last weekend's speech is touted as a sign of an open war between the fifth President of the Republic of Indonesia and Jokowi, after over the past few months the two seem less harmonious. However, political observer Adi Prayitno does not see this as an open war between the two parties.

However, Adi did not deny the disappointment from Megawati after the Constitutional Court decided that Gibran, who was previously deemed ineligible to run as a candidate for Vice President, could finally advance.

"I see that it is not yet fully open because I have not mentioned who is considered to have committed legal manipulation, I do not mention who carried out political intimidation, although at the same time we know that Megawati's speech was related to the presidential candidate Gibran Rakabuming Raka, who initially did not meet the requirements," Adi said.

Meanwhile, Executive Director of the Voxpol Center Research and Consulting, Pangi Syarwi Chaniago said what Megawati said in her speech was a fact. Pangi assessed that Megawati had expressed all her disappointment in the speech.

"Mrs. Megawati is a high-class person, so what she said is a fact," Pangi said when contacted by VOI.

Megawati's status is a populist nuance of PDIP. PDIP is disappointed with the people they raised first, then now it's a terrible monster, who can't be controlled, who wants to build political dynasties, nepotism, and abuse of power," Pangi added.

Megawati also mentioned political intimidation in her speech. Adi Prayitno tried to guess Megawati's political intimidation.

He suspected that this political intimidation could be related to the news that a number of police officers had visited the PDIP office in Solo, as well as the matter of removing the presidential candidate billboard carried by the party bearing the white muzzle.

As is known, Ganjar-Mahfud's billboards and party flags were removed by the Satpol PP in Bali along with President Jokowi's visit at the end of last October. According to Adi, this is a form of intimidation against one of the couples.

When officials visit the office of certain party political parties, or when the attributes are reduced, it is not done to other candidates, this causes unrest, this is the political style of the New Order," Adi explained.

Contacted by a separate political observer from Al Azhar University Indonesia, Andriadi Achmad was reluctant to consider the arrival of a number of police officers to the Solo PDIP DPC office on November 8 as a form of intimidation, unless there was evidence that said otherwise.

Andriadi assessed that the arrival of a number of police to the Solo PDIP DP office was nothing more than a gathering.

Between political parties and other institutions must synergize. If the police come to the political party office, consider it a gathering. Unless for example there is coercion of searches. If it's just sowan, don't overdo it," Andriadi told VOI.

"The language of intimidation may be proven if there is a search, forced property taking for granted on illogical grounds," he added.

Andriadi added that in politics there should be no eternal enemy so there is no need to exaggerate over the real problem.

Regarding the allegations of intimidation, the Head of Solo Police, Kombes Iwan Saktiadi, clarified and denied the arrival of his members, but instead intimidated him. Iwan emphasized that the police had carried out the Brata Great Operation for the 2024 General Election.

"One of his actions is to carry out patrols. So the presence of our members there (DPC PDIP Solo) is patrols. And if you question there is photo documentation, our SOP for each member assignment is obliged to provide a report on the results of the assignment accompanied by photos," said Iwan.