Golkar Founder Ormas Asks Airlangga To Resign From Ketum Position

Deputy Chairperson of the National Leadership Council (Depinas) SOKSI Lawrence TP Siburian after a press conference at the Sultan Hotel, Jakarta, Wednesday (12/7/2023). ANTARA/Narda Margaretha Sinambela

JAKARTA - Three mass organizations founding the Golkar Party, namely Kosgoro 1957, Gotong Royong Family Conference (MKGR), and the Central Indonesian Self-Employment Organization (SOKSI) asked Airlangga Hartarto to resign from the position of General Chairperson of the Golkar DPP.

This was conveyed directly by the Deputy Chairperson of the National Leadership Council (Depinas) SOKSILawrence TP.Siburian at a press conference at the Sultan Hotel, Jakarta, Wednesday, July 12.

"Pak Airlangga is okay with the ministry. He leads as Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs, but the Golkar Party is handed over to those who are better able to maintain and maintain at least 14 percent of the vote increases," Lawrence said as quoted by ANTARA.

According to him, Airlangga as the General Chair of the Golkar DPP is not clear which direction will take the party bearing the banyan tree symbol. In fact, the registration time for the presidential and vice presidential candidate pairs has 3 months left.

Currently, Airlangga Hartarto's electability only reaches 1 percent and Golkar's vote acquisition is 14 percent. If you want to form a new coalition, he said, there are still parties that have not determined the direction of their support, namely PAN.

Lawrence said that as many as 7 percent of PAN votes joined Golkarmaka, the two parties had met the 20 percent presidential threshold as a condition to nominate a presidential / vice presidential pair.

Nevertheless, he continued, the coalition of the two parties would not bring victory. The reason is, Airlangga Hartarto only has about 1 percent of the presidential candidate's electability.

"No one wants to take part in the presidential election to lose, everyone wants to win. Therefore, we see the impact on the Golkar Party later in the legislative election," he explained.

He also targets Golkar to fill 100 seats in the DPR RI. Lawrence admitted that he already had a calculation and analysis of numbers from Sabang to Merauke.

"The reality will be in the next election time. However, we already know exactly that this is dangerous," he added.

As for various surveys, Golkar will go down to number 4 or 5. This is considered to reduce Golkar's position as a major party towards the middle party, not even closing the possibility of becoming a volunteer party.

"Because of what? Every voter enters the first electoral room, yes, the presidential/vice presidential candidate pair he likes, then the party from the candidate pair he voting for," said Lawrence.

Therefore, his party encourages Golkar to conduct extraordinary deliberations (musnaslub) to replace Airlangga Hartarto as General Chair of the Golkar DPP.

Lawrence hopes that the figure of a replacement for Airlangga has the ability to lead Golkar in facing the 2024 General Election. The reason is, it has been 3 years since Golkar has carried out presidential and vice presidential maneuvers.

"If Pak Airlangga reasoned that there was no musnaslub, he still had time, it would be announced in August. It's that nonsense, it's no longer possible," he concluded.

Previously, Golkar Party DPP chairman Dave Akbarshah Fikarno Laksono dismissed the possibility of the Golkar Party Expert Council holding an extraordinary national meeting (munaslub) in order to evaluate Airlangga Hartarto as chairman of the Golkar Party as well as a presidential candidate.

"There is no agenda or opportunity to conduct a munaslub," said Dave in a statement received in Jakarta.

Dave also emphasized the loyalty and solidity of all elements of the Golkar Party to Airlangga Hartarto.

"All elements of Golkar remain solidly loyal to the Golkar Ketum," said the member of Commission I of the DPR.