Determination Of Suspect Hasto Kristiyanto Widens PDIP's Distance With Prabowo's Government

PDI-P Secretary General Hasto Kristiyanto walked to his car after undergoing an inspection at the KPK's Red and White Building, Jakarta, Tuesday (20/8/2024). (ANTARA/Reno Esnir/aa)

JAKARTA - The case of PDI-P (PDIP) Secretary General Hasto Kristiyanto, who has been named a suspect by the Corruption Eradication Commission or the KPK, is claimed to be politicization. The PDIP camp felt that the party bearing the white-nosed bull was being carried out.

PDIP is back in the spotlight ahead of the turn of the year. First, former Minister of Law and Human Rights (HAM) Yasonna Laoly was prevented from leaving the country by the KPK. Then Secretary General Hasto Kristiyanto who was named a suspect by the anti-corruption agency. The case is still related to Harun Masiku, a PDIP cadre who is still at large today.

Hasto was charged with two cases, namely bribery and obstruction of investigation or obstruction of justice. However, until this news was revealed, Hasto had not yet been detained even though his status was a suspect.

"From the start when I criticized how democracy should be enforced, how the voices of the people cannot be castrated, how the state of law cannot be turned off, and what is the character of authoritarian power, which oppresses its own people, must be stopped," said Hasto, two days after he was named a suspect.

He emphasized that what is happening now is a risk that must be faced because of criticizing the government.

"I already understand the various risks I will face," he continued.

Political observers consider the determination of Hasto as a suspect to have the potential to create a distance between PDIP and the government of President Prabowo.

"It is almost certain that after this incident, PDIP will further emphasize it as a party that will have a opposite position with the government," said Ardli Johan Kusuma, a political science observer at the Jakarta Veterans National Development University (UPNVJ) as quoted by Antara.

KPK chairman Setyo Budiyarto explained that the determination of the suspect Hasto Kristiyanto was still related to Harun Masiku. In the 2019 Legislative Election (Pileg) Hasto as Secretary General of the PDIP placed Harun in the election area 1 South Sumatra (Sumsel) even though he came from South Sulawesi (Sulsel).

Harun still lost despite changing electoral districts and only received 5,878 votes. The DPR seat from the electoral district was won by Nazaruddin Kiemas, even though he died before the vote was held.

To note, Nazarudin, who is Megawati Soekarnoputri's sister-in-law, passed away on March 26, 2019 in South Tangerang, while the Pilkada was held on April 17.

Hasto is said to have tried to get Harun to replace Nazaruddin, even though this position should have been given to Riezky Aprilia, who occupies the second most votes of 44,402.

Hasto is also said to have kept trying to get Riezky to resign to be replaced by Harun, but the effort was rejected. Because his efforts were deadlocked, Setyo said Hasto was trying to bribe KPU commissioner Wahyu Setiawan and two Wahyu confidants, namely Agustiani Tio Fridelina and Saeful Bahri.

Based on the development of the investigation, said Setyo, evidence was found that the money used to bribe Wahyu was partly from Hasto. He is said to have given bribes of 19,000 Singapore dollars and 38,350 Singapore dollars in the period 16 December 2019 to 23 December 2019 to Wahyu and Agustina.

The KPK's determination of the suspect Hasto Kristiyanto and the demarcation of Yasonna Laoly also dragged the name of Jokowi Widodo, the seventh President of Indonesia and former PDIP's favorite cadre.

Not without reason this case was then linked with Jokowi. The former mayor of Solo was recently fired by PDIP, complete with his son-in-law, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, and his son-in-law, Bobby Nasution.

Previously, Hasto was also known to have been vocal in criticizing Jokowi's alleged abuse of power. This was stated by PDIP politician Guntur Romli.

"Mas Hasto is actually not going to be a suspect if Jokowi and his family's dismissal was canceled," said Guntur.

In addition, Guntur also said that this case was a political and ordered case, and there was an attempt to trick the party, a term made by the PDIP chairman Megawati before firing Jokowi's family from his party.

Is Hasto Kritiyanto's case at the end of this year an attempt to weaken PDIP? Political communication analyst Hendri Satrio questioned why this case had just rolled out, even though the alleged bribery had occurred five years ago.

But on the other hand, if you say this is an attempt to weaken the party, Hendri does not think so, because PDIP is a solid and solid party.

"This case must be completed immediately, so that the Prabowo government is not carried away. Because Prabowo's government has just started," said Hendri.

Furthermore, he hopes that all parties will not mix political problems with the law, because it will confuse the people.

On the other hand, UPNVJ political expert Ardli Johan Kusuma said that the KPK's determination of the suspect Hasto and Yasonna's demarcation was a successive blow to PDIP. Not only that, the case experienced by PDIP cadres will also have a negative impact on the image of the party in the eyes of the community.

Therefore, he is of the opinion that PDIP as one of the major parties in Indonesia will take steps to defend the two cadres.

"Or even counterattack, both with legal steps and political steps against parties deemed to have brought down PDIP through this case," he said.

Ardli continued, the determination of Hasto as a suspect plus Yasonna's demarcation will later affect the national political situation. That's because the current PDIP position is as an opposition.

"This will certainly form a big question or even the view that the determination of Hasto as a suspect is very thick the nuance of his political interests, although perhaps legally it can be proven in court," said Ardli.

He argues that the determination of Hasto Kristiyanto as a suspect can widen the distance between PDIP and the newly appointed government of President Prabowo Subianto.

"It is almost certain that after this incident, PDIP will further emphasize itself as a party that is against the Prabowo government," said Ardli again.