Fired By PDIP, Evidence That Jokowi Is Not Special

JAKARTA - The PDI-P (PDIP) finally announced the dismissal of Joko Widodo (Jokowi), Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka and North Sumatra Governor Candidate Bobby Nasution from party membership.

With this dismissal, Chairman of the PDIP DPP for Honor Komarudin emphasized that Jokowi was prohibited from carrying out activities and holding any position on behalf of the party bearing the white muzzle bull symbol.

Komarudin also emphasized that the PDIP DPP was no longer responsible for what Jokowi did in the future. He then said Jokowi, Gibran, and Bobby were fired along with 27 other PDIP members, but Komarudin did not specify their names.

“As of the issuance of this dismissal letter, the PDI-P DPP has no relationship and is not responsible for anything that brother Jokowi does,” said Komarudin.

Jokowi's dismissal along with his eldest son and son-in-law is actually not surprising news. Political observer from UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta Adi Prayitno views the dismissal of Jokowi and his family as merely a formality.

However, Executive Director of Indonesia Political Opinion Dedi Kurnia Syah predicts that Jokowi's political power will weaken after being sacked by PDIP, unless he joins an elite party.

Just a Formality

Jokowi Widodo joined the PDIP around 2004. The party chaired by Megawati Soekarnoputri is also the one that always carries the Surakarta-born man in various political contestations, from the Solo Mayor election, the Jakarta Governor election, to the Presidential election.

It was also with the PDIP flag that Jokowi managed to occupy the highest office in Indonesia for ten years, after he won the presidential election twice in a row in 2014 and 2019.

However, the relationship between Jokowi and PDIP heated up ahead of the 2024 presidential election. The former mayor of Solo did not support Ganjar Pranowo, the party's presidential candidate. Instead, Jokowi gave support to his former rival, Prabowo Subianto, who later paired up with his eldest son, Gibran Rakabuming Raka after a Constitutional Court ruling allowed presidential and vice presidential candidates under the age of 40 to run in the presidential election as long as they had held public positions elected through elections.

Since then, tensions between the PDIP and the Jokowi camp have been unavoidable. PDIP does not consider this 63-year-old man as part of the party, although it has not yet issued an official dismissal decision.

It was only on December 16 that the party led by Megawati Soekarnoputri officially expelled Jokowi and Gibran. The letter of dismissal for both was outlined in Decree numbers 1650/KPTS/DPP/XII/2024 and 1651/KPTS/DPP/XII/2024 signed by PDIP General Chair Megawati Soekarnoputri and PDIP Secretary General Hasto Kristiyanto.

However, Adi Prayitno considers this dismissal as a formality because Jokowi and PDIP have parted ways since the 2024 presidential election.

“So far, Jokowi and Gibran have been considered no longer important to the PDIP. So, this dismissal is only a formality that PDIP has said goodbye to Jokowi and Gibran,” said Adi.

However, Adi believes that the dismissal of Jokowi and Gibran will not reduce their bargaining power when they want to join other political parties. He believes that both of them can still easily change party clothes even though they have not been fired because they are no longer considered part of the PDIP.

“There is no effect on the bargaining power of Jokowi and Gibran after being fired by the PDIP. After all, other parties also know that Jokowi-Gibran is no longer part of the PDIP,” said Adi.

Seeing Jokowi's actions in the country's political scene, Adi believes that the seventh president can easily join other parties. Likewise with Gibran because he is currently the vice president for the next five years.

Jokowi's influence is not special

The public certainly still remembers when Megawati labeled Jokowi as a party official. The term party officer has drawn controversy. Not only that, Megawati also once said “Jokowi is nobody without PDIP” which is considered instrumental in raising his name in the political arena.

Megawati's claim became a pro-con. Although some agree with the statement, not a few also consider Jokowi's success in winning the presidential election because 'his name is bigger than the party'. The red party's landslide defeat in the 2024 presidential election is one proof that PDIP lost its spurs without Jokowi.

However, Dedi Kurnia Syah has a different view. This IPO political observer actually says that Jokowi's influence on voters or the public is actually not special. According to Dedi, what has made Jokowi strong so far is because of his influence in the circle of power, and now the influence of power is gradually fading.

“Jokowi will remain strong if he is solid and gets Prabowo's compliance as president, otherwise the political elite will leave Jokowi,” Dedi told VOI.

On the same occasion, Dedi also predicted the 2029 Election battle, in which Jokowi's family would depend on the political party elite that sheltered him. Jokowi is no longer the determinant of victory, as happened in the last three editions. He believes Jokowi's influence will not have a significant impact, although for small or medium-sized political parties the figure of the former Governor of Jakarta will remain attractive.

Jokowi's dismissal by PDIP is also believed to have an impact on the political map in the 2029 presidential election. Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka will most likely become a challenger to President Prabowo Subianto five years from now. This is where Jokowi's name is at stake, will he be able to attract support in favor of his eldest son?

“The 2029 election will be quite complicated, a battle between Prabowo and Gibran. Jokowi with his political record so far is likely to be ready to leave Prabowo, but Gibran is not strong enough without the support of big political parties,” he explained.

“With the current dismissal of PDIP, where PDIP is the majority in Parliament, this will have an impact on Jokowi's political maneuvers going forward,” Dedi concluded.