PDIP Champions Fall In Banteng Kandang, Jokowi Intervenes?

JAKARTA - The quick count results of the Central Java Pilkada (Central Java) put the candidate pair (paslon) for governor and deputy governor candidate for PDIP champion Andika Perkasa-Hendar Prihadi keok from the votes acquired by candidate pairs Ahmad Luthfi and Taj Yasin.

Andika-Hendar's defeat marked the creation of history for the Banteng Party which fell at home.

Executive Director of the Institute for Democracy and Strategic Affairs, Khoirul Umam, assessed that the fall of PDIP candidates in the Central Java Pilkada was caused by several factors. One of them is the intervention of the 7th President of the Republic of Indonesia, Joko Widodo (Jokowi).

"Because, since the history of the Pilkada was present in 2005, PDIP has always been empowered in Central Java. This condition is influenced by several things. First, the dominance of the political machinery of the Lutfi-Taj Yasin coalition is approximately 75 percent," said Umam in his statement, Thursday, November 28.

Second, the support of Jokowi and Prabowo Subianto who are now the President of the Republic of Indonesia who is also supported by logistics donors for the Lutfi-Taj Yasin pair.

"In addition to Jokowi & Prabowo's political endorsement support, it provides a strong political message for political power nodes, including logistical donors, to all out win Lutfi-Yasin," said Umam.

"Jokowi's network is also all out and at all costs, because the results of the Central Java Pilkada are a gamble of fate and also a pride for Jokowi and his family who must face up to the strength of the PDIP which has been the strongest so far," he continued.

Umam also sees the character of Central Java voters, especially the Pantura region, which is dominated by the santri community and supports the representation of Nationalist-Santri candidates. This representation is reflected in Lutfi-Yasin.

"The Nahdlatul Ulama network is very all out to support this couple. Meanwhile, the Andika-Hendi pair are quite different, both of which represent nationalist patterns," he said.

Thus, added Umam, the strength of the Advanced Indonesia Coalition (KIM) backed up by Jokowi could take advantage of the fragile situation of the ranks of PDIP forces in Central Java.

"In addition, the main obstacle faced by PDIP candidates in the Central Java Pilkada is the very limited factor in socialization time, including to penetrate the santri segment in Central Java," he said.

Previously, PDIP General Chair Megawati Soekarnoputri responded to the defeat of Andika Perkasa-Hendrar Prihadi (Andika-Hendi) from Ahmad Luthfi-Taj Yasin in the quick count version of the 2024 Central Java Pilkada.

Megawati admitted that she received reports regarding the massive use of regional head officials to transfer police officers for the purpose of electoral politics in Central Java.

"In Central Java, for example, I received a report on how massive the use of regional head officials and mutations of police apparatus for the sake of electoral politics," Megawati said in a video recording received by VOI.ID, Wednesday night.

According to Megawati, this cannot be tolerated because the Constitutional Court (MK) and laws and regulations have firmly regulated non-neutral state apparatus, which can be punished. He claimed that if the 2024 Central Java Pilkada was fair and honest, then candidate pairs (paslon) number 1 Andika Perkasa and Hendrar Prihadi would win.

"I know Central Java well. I was elected as a member of the DPR three times. Central Java is not only a bull pen, but has become a place for the ideas of nationalism and patriotism," he stressed.

"I see the energy of the movement of the people, sympathizers, and militant cadres and should not be defeated if the elections are carried out fairly, honestly, and fairly," he added in response to the 2024 Central Java Pilkada quick count.