PDIP Secretary General Responds To Officials Forward To Presidential Election: Indonesian People Instead Hope Mahfud MD Remains As Coordinating Minister For Political, Legal And Security Affairs

PDIP Secretary General Hasto Kristiyanto in Jakarta, Friday (27/10/2023). (ANTARA/Narda Margaretha Sinambela)

PDI-P Secretary General Hasto Kristiyanto said the Indonesian people hope that Mahfud MD's vice presidential candidate will not resign from his position as Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs.

"The people actually expect Prof Mahfud to remain as Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs and he is a person who has high integrity not to abuse his power to be orderly," said Hasto in Jakarta as reported by ANTARA, Friday, October 27.

As for the people, continued Hasto, he saw Mahfud as a figure who could ensure that the government's implementing apparatus did not abuse his authority. For this reason, Mahfud's personal qualities are unquestionable.

"Prof Mahfud is a commitment for the nation and state is much bigger than personal and family. So the task of state must run and it is not against the law," he explained.

However, Hasto said Mahfud would apply for leave when the campaign period arrives to focus on winning the 2024 presidential election.

"In the campaign, he applied for leave and then the people hoped that Prof Mahfud could become a good referee, so that there would be no abuse of power. So that the people's voice would truly be the most sovereign voice in determining the leader," continued Hasto.

Meanwhile, when asked about the emergence of the assumption that Mahfud held concurrent positions. Hasto revealed that the same thing also happened to Prabowo Subianto, who remains Minister of Defense.

"Yes, it's the same, there is Pak Prabowo as the Defense Minister, Pak Jokowi as the president whose son (Gibran Rakabuming Raka) is also a vice presidential candidate. The important thing is that the people work together to monitor so that the contestation can take place properly," he said.

Hasto continued that he believed that civil society would become a good supervisor for the possibility of abuse of power in elections.

"We believe that civil society will be a good supervisor so that there is no abuse of power. We believe that what is called Pak Ganjar, Prof. Mahfud MD, really has a commitment not to abuse power," he concluded.