Half-Hearted Support Of The Bulan Bintang Party For The Jokowi-Ma'ruf Government

JAKARTA - There is no free lunch. Perhaps that is a suitable parable to describe the support of the Crescent Star Party (PBB) in the victory of Jokowi-Ma'ruf Amin in the 2019 Presidential Election. This support is not given freely.

Feeling of having a service, the United Nations began to leverage its role in winning Jokowi-Ma'ruf. The party cadre chaired by Yusril Ihza Mahendra is restless. Because there is no certainty about the involvement of the UN in the government.

Of the six supporting parties and four supporting parties for the candidacy of Jokowi-Ma'ruf in the 2019 Presidential Election, there are three parties, namely, the United Nations, Hanura and PKPI that have not been 'paid' for their services. Meanwhile, PSI and Perindo, which both failed to pass the parliamentary threshold, have sat in the Advanced Indonesia Cabinet.

PSI politician Surya Tjandra was appointed by Jokowi as deputy minister of Agrarian and Spatial Planning. He is in charge of assisting the Minister of Agrarian and Spatial Planning Sofyan Djalil. Meanwhile, Perindo Politician Angela Tanoesoedibjo served as Deputy Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy.

Al-Azhar University Political Observer Ujang Komarudin assessed that it was natural for the UN to react by leveraging its services. According to him, the unclear fate of the UN in the Jokowi-Ma'ruf administration was also because the party did not wholeheartedly support its candidacy.

Even so, he said, in the end all of them would be rationed. Because in politics all must get a share. Although the support given is not unanimous. But institutionally, the UN party supports Jokowi-Ma'ruf.

"Naturally (because half-heartedly). But that does not mean not getting it, Jokowi (just) is going too far," he said, when contacted voi.id, in Jakarta, Thursday, November 21.

Ujang said that it was because there were parties that had not yet received their quota. Then a plan emerged to add to the position of deputy minister, this is to accommodate all parties who have contributed.

"Because of the ripples, Jokowi will add six positions to Deputy Minister. It is normal for the politics of sharing the positions. Because there are those who have not yet got the positions. If we cannot, they will definitely keep on talking," he said.

As is well known, when other political parties determine the direction of their support, the UN has not yet decided on a position. The Islamic Party is not in any camp, be it Prabowo or Jokowi's camp. Communication and negotiation with the two camps was undertaken by the Chairman of the UN Party, Yusril Ihza Mahendra. However, no common ground was found in negotiations with the Prabowo-Sandi camp.

In the midst of his party's still floating position, Yusril accepted an offer to become Jokowi-Ma'ruf's lawyer in early November. Yusril met the Head of the National Campaign Team (TKN) Erick Thohir at Hotel Mulia, Jakarta, 4 November 2018.

However, this is not yet a sign of the UN's siding with the incumbent candidate, because this is a personal decision by Yusril and not an official party stance.

Finally, on January 27, the UN officially supported the Jokowi-Ma'ruf pair. The decision was made in a plenary meeting some time ago. The decision to provide political support was not a personal decision for Yusril, but a decision by the majority of the DPP PBB Plenary Meeting on January 19.

Even though the UN has decided to provide official support to Jokowi-Ma'ruf, this party still appreciates and respects if there are functionaries and party members who have different choices and support, apart from what has been decided.

Evidently, as many as 80 candidates for the UN legislative members who are members of the Makkah Axis UN Candidate National Movement declared themselves to support the presidential and vice presidential candidates for Prabowo Subianto-Sandiaga Uno in the 2019 Presidential Election.

The candidates feel the need to unite to follow the results of the ulama's ijtima, namely supporting Prabowo-Sandi. It seems that this party is not wholeheartedly supporting Jokowi-Ma'ruf because it is not unanimous in one decision.

PBB in the Jokowi-Ma'ruf Vortex

UN Deputy Chairperson Sukmo Harsono said that in recent days his party cadres at all levels have been worried about the fate of the party after the determination of the cabinet composition for both ministers and deputy ministers.

According to Harsono, at this time there is also pressure from below and is very strong to urge the chairman and general secretary of the political party to take a stand and provide an explanation for why the UN is still unable to actively participate in the government.

In fact, Harsono claims he is leading the declaration of support for the Jokowi-Ma'ruf pair to the regions. Meanwhile, the general chairman of the party was sent to become chairman of the legal team to face challenges against the presidential election from opposing camps.

"The general chairman is the commander of the Constitutional Court. So it is only natural that they wonder why the UN Secretary General, Afriansyah Noor, who has such a close and good relationship with Pak Jokowi, has also not provided an explanation. What exactly happened to the UN," he said, via written statement, in Jakarta, Wednesday, November 20.

Under the command of Yusril, the Jokowi-Ma'ruf camp succeeded in proving the allegations of structured, systematic and massive violations expressed by the Prabowo-Sandiaga camp. The Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court Anwar Usman read out a verdict stating that he rejected Prabowo's camp.

"Stating in the exception, rejecting the exception of the respondent and related parties entirely. In the main point of the petition, rejecting the petition of the petitioner entirely," said Anwar Usman.

Previously, while serving as deputy chairman of the National Campaign Team (TKN) for the Jokowi-Ma'ruf candidate pair, Arsul Sani said that UN support was in his favor. This is because the presence of the UN has increasingly eroded the image that Jokowi is anti-Islam.

The joining of the UN to the Jokowi-Ma'ruf team also signifies the openness to other parties in the Working Indonesia Coalition (KIK). KIK, said Arsul, will also continue to share winning tasks with all parties supporting Jokowi-Ma'ruf without being choosy.