The Moment Maruarar Sirait Failed To Become Minister

Maruarar Sirait, a PDIP politician who resigned from the party on January 15, 2024 when he met President Jokowi at the Presidential Palace, Jakarta, October 2023. (Instagram/@maruararsirait)

JAKARTA - Jalan Joko Widodo (Jokowi) as the Presidential Candidate of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP) is not smooth. Jokowi had to shift the big name of Megawati Soekarnoputri. Jokowi was unable to do this alone to compete in the 2014 presidential election.

Maruarar Sirait took part. The man who is familiarly called Ara saw that Jokowi's figure was more promising in victory than Megawati. He was able to urge PDIP to carry Jokowi and win. However, he was unlucky. PDIP never approved him to become a minister.

The matter of choosing a presidential candidate to compete in the political contestation of the presidential election is never easy. The party bearing the symbol of a white-nosed bull has felt it in the 2014 presidential election. At that time, PDIP had two strong candidate figures who were ready to be promoted as presidential candidates.

First, the 5th former President of Indonesia, Megawati Soekarnoputri. Second, the Governor of DKI Jakarta, Jokowi. This condition made PDIP cadres split into two axes. Some loyal cadres chose to fully support Megawati.

Other cadres do not want to lose. They chose Jokowi as the new carrier of hope. Even though pessimism was present among the residents of Jokowi. Because, Jokowi is only a cadre, Megawati is the General Chair of the PDIP.

The election map for the PDIP presidential candidate then changed when a figure like Maruarar Sirait joined the ranks of Jokowi's supporters. Ara and other figures are persistent in asking PDIP officials to nominate Jokowi as a presidential candidate.

This consideration is because the figure of Jokowi is on the rise and popular. Jokowi has never lost in political contestation, from the Solo Pilkada to the Jakarta gubernatorial election. Ara, who has joined the PDIP since 1999, believes that Jokowi is the best choice that PDIP has, compared to advancing Megawati back to her previous presidential election.

The struggle of Ara and other PDIP cadres brought results. Megawati also gave her part in giving her blessing to Jokowi who then side by side with Jusuf Kalla (JK). Both became presidential and vice presidential candidates promoted by PDIP.

The results were brilliant. Jokowi-JK was able to win in the 2014 presidential election defeating the Prabowo Subianto-Hatta Rajasa pair.

Ara is a persistent supporter of Jokowi. Together with Eva Kusuma Sundari and Rieke Diah Pitaloka, his name was mentioned again when he bounced from the ranks of the work Cabinet. As stated by Basuki Tjahaja Purnama (Ahok), the three young politicians contributed greatly to Jokowi. Ahok revealed: I think Eva's mother, Rieke, Ara is one of the best we have. They really helped Pak Jokowi.'

"Outside team 11, Ara is the one who urged the PDI-P to nominate Jokowi as a presidential candidate. Because of his insistence, Ara came to Puan Maharani and threatened to hold a PDIP KLB (Extraordinary Congress) if Megawati was not willing to approve Jokowi as a presidential candidate," explained Hendra Budiman in the book Jokowi's Whisperers (2015).

There is no doubt about the closeness of Ara and Jokowi. Jokowi, who has served as President of Indonesia, began to draw up the names of ministers who would help him in running the government. Ara's name is widely heard to be appointed minister.

Ara is predicted to fill positions like the Minister of Youth and Sports (Menpora). Jokowi's wish was seen when Ara was also summoned along with other ministerial candidates on October 26, 2014. Alias, the day before the inauguration of the Minister of the Working Cabinet.

Problems arise. Ara did not get the blessing of PDIP and Megawati to become ministers. The narrative was echoed because whoever the ministerial candidates from the PDIP must be approved by party officials. This is because the party has its own mechanism in determining the minister.

Ara also failed to occupy the ministerial position. Sadly, Ara's name was crossed out an hour before the Working Cabinet was announced. In fact, Ara is already at the State Palace and wearing a white shirt, just like other ministerial candidates.

This fact proves that having a good relationship with Jokowi alone is not enough. All PDIP cadres must comply with the party's mechanism, including in the election as ministers. Jokowi also tried to raise Ara's spirit. Jokowi said that Ara would still participate in helping him with other positions.

"Indeed, the name of a ministerial candidate from a political party is unavoidable. Actually, Maruarar is very close to Jokowi".

Jokowi did not have the opportunity to elect a ministerial candidate from a political party, because the political party already had a name to choose from. I think this is what caused Maruarar's name to be thrown in the last minute," said Executive Director of Indonesian Political Indicators, Burhanuddin Muhtadi as quoted on the detik.com page, October 27, 2014.