Jokowi's Scenario Masters The Golkar Party Through His Doll

Acting (Plt) General Chairperson of the Golkar Party Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita (center) accompanied by the leadership of the Golkar Party DPP after a plenary meeting in Jakarta, Tuesday (13/8/2024). (VOI/Rizky Adytia)

JAKARTA Airlangga Hartarto's resignation as General Chair of the Golkar Party on Sunday (11/8/2024) sparked various speculations. Even President Joko Widodo's name was again linked to this quite shocking political event.

Airlangga has no longer served as chairman of the party bearing the banyan symbol since Saturday (10/8), even though the video of his resignation only circulated a day later.

In the midst of the boisterous resignation of Airlangga suddenly, various speculations broke out. However, the public's eyes were on Jokowi. There was a meeting between Jokowi and Airlangga at the Presidential Palace the day before his resignation strengthened the public's analogy regarding the alleged interference of the president in this incident.

Although later this claim was denied by the Palace, as conveyed by the Presidential Staff Coordinator, Ari Dwipayana.

"Mr. Airlangga Hartarto's resignation as General Chair of the Golkar Party is his choice or personal right which is then fully an internal matter of the Golkar Party. So it has nothing to do with the President," said Ari.

Rumors about Jokowi's ambition to enter Golkar have actually blown since the last few months, although it is not as fast as after Airlangga's resignation.

The former governor of DKI Jakarta needs a new political vehicle after his leadership period ends in October 2024. On several occasions, Jokowi said that he would return to being an ordinary person and return to his hometown in Solo, Central Java.

But the public doesn't seem to believe Jokowi's statement. Said the Executive Director of the Voxpol Center Research and Consulting Pangi Syarwi Chaniago, if Jokowi said 'no' then it means 'yes' and vice versa.

Back to talk about new political vehicles. Jokowi needs that because there are still unfinished interests in the two leadership periods while protecting his children's political career, according to several political analysts.

His relationship with the cold PDIP since before the 2024 Presidential Election forced Jokowi to look for new political vehicles that then led to the Golkar Party.

But it is not easy to occupy strategic positions in parties that have many factions and political elites that are influential at the central and regional levels. In addition, Golkar also has strict internal rules.

Referring to the Golkar Party's Articles of Association/Household Budget (AD/ART), it stipulates that the requirements to become chairman include having been a central level Golkar administrator or founding organization or founded by Golkar are at least one period and supported by at least 30 percent of voters.

Then, being active as a member of the Golkar Party for at least five years and never being a member of other political parties. Candidates for general chairman are also required to have attended the education and training of Golkar cadres.

But, what is impossible for Jokowi? If the age limit for presidential and vice president candidates can be 'adjusted', let alone just internal party rules.

The plenary meeting on Tuesday night, August 13, appointed Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita as the Acting Head of Golkar.

The appointment of Agus Gumiwang as Plt is actually something that has also been predicted. Following the assumption that Agus Gumiwang is a bridge to the entry of a great power into Golkar. What is meant by this great power is mentioned by President Jokowi, as mentioned earlier.

A scenario like this was also predicted by political science expert Ikrar Nusa Bhakti. He suspects that Airlangga's resignation will have political interventions or divisions from the power above.

Before holding the plenary meeting, he said that if Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita was appointed as Acting Golkar Party and compiled an Extraordinary National Conference (Munaslub) this August, then this was a big mistake made by the Golkar party.

"If later it turns out that Bahlil Lahadalia was later properly elected as chairman of the Golkar Party, that's again a big mistake for the Golkar party," said Ikrar.

"And then the political problems that occurred in the Golkar party were actually approved by Prabowo Subianto, meaning that Prabowo Subianto dug his own grave. Because he will not become president-elect, and then the real president after being sworn in," he continued.

As the result of the plenary meeting decision, the Golkar Party will hold a Munaslub on August 20 to elect a definitive general chairman. Agus emphasized that he did not advance in the nomination, without specifying the reason. Several names were mentioned as strong candidates to replace Airlangga, namely Bahlil Lahadalia, Joko Widodo, and even Gibran Rakabuming Raka.

Even so, observers think that Jokowi will not dare to break the internal rules of the party and then run as a candidate for the chairman of Golkar. Apart from being too flashy, there are calculations that make the former mayor of Solo not willing to take risks so that he will choose to advance other figures.

So that the option that is realistic and can be the middle ground if it is true that Jokowi wants to enter Golkar is to choose a definitive chairman who has high loyalty to Jokowi.

"The choice is to use proxies. This means that he is not the one who fights in the election of the Golkar Ketum, but through his obscurity' to move forward. In addition, Jokowi is counting, Golkar is also a big party, the oldest party in Indonesia today has a strong tradition. It could be through Bahlil, "explained Ikrar.

If that happens, Prabowo Subianto will be affected. For Prabowo, like it or not, according to Ikrar, he opens up the political role of twin suns.

If there is a twin sun, who will be a role model or get support from the community? Jokowi or Prabowo? Jokowi is the smartest to do imaging politics," he concluded.

Ikrar added that if the Munaslub occurred before Jokowi's period ended, it was not impossible that Jokowi would actually carry out a political coup and acquire the Golkar Party without spending a lot of money.