Bajo Passes KPU Verification, Observer: It Could Be Deliberately Appointed To Fight Gibran

Independent candidate pair for Pilkada Solo, BAJO (Photo: kota-surakarta.kpu.go.id)

JAKARTA - Bagyo Wahyono-FX Suparjo (Bajo), who will advance to challenge President Joko Widodo's (Jokowi) son, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, through an independent route, has passed factual verification. Responding to this, Executive Director of Indonesia Political Review Ujang Komarudin assessed that the independent candidate pair were deliberately raised so that the 2020 Pilwalkot Solo seemed democratic.

Moreover, Gibran, who is paired with Teguh Prakosa, is often said to be fighting the empty box after being promoted by PDI Perjuangan, Gerindra, Golkar, the National Mandate Party (PAN) and the Indonesian Solidarity Party (PSI).

"It could be that the candidate is deliberately raised and assisted to act as if he were against Gibran. The goal is to make (Pilwalkot, red) look democratic and to have opponents," said Ujang when contacted by VOI, Monday, August 24.

He said the Bajo's chances of winning were also quite small in the regional head elections. Given, their opponents have been superior from the start and have the advantage of being President Jokowi's son.

So, Ujang is increasingly convinced that the presence of an independent candidate is only intended so that Gibran-Teguh does not fight against empty boxes. "This is like my previous analysis. That there are only two possibilities for Gibran's opponents. An empty box or a candidate for a puppet has emerged," he said.

Meanwhile, political observer from the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) Aisah Putri Budiarti disagrees with Ujang's statement. According to him, whether the Bajo pair were to be passed or not would have gone through a series of verification processes which were carried out independently by the KPU.

"So we just wait to see how far this candidate will carry out the process stage by stage during the next election, whether he is serious about going through the process or not," said Putri.

Previously, the KPU Solo stated that the Bajo pair had passed the factual verification stage and were declared entitled to register their candidacy in the Solo Pilkada.

"The BAJO pair meet the requirements in fulfilling the number of support and distribution requirements to register from individual channels," said the Chairman of KPU Solo, Nurul Sutarti.

According to Nurul, the Bajo pair, they have the support of 38,831 people. This amount of support is an accumulation of the number of initial supports declared eligible by the KPU, namely 28,629. "Plus the repair period of 10,202, so a total of 38,831 spread across 5 districts," said Nurul.

This amount of support exceeds the requirement for a minimum amount of support, namely 35,870 spread over at least 3 sub-districts.

After passing the factual verification, Bagyo Wahyono, who is running for Mayor of Solo independently, admits that he is ready to fight Gibran-Teguh. However, Bagyo asked Gibran-Teguh and his supporting political parties to compete in an elegant and sporty manner.

"So I hope we compete elegantly, play sportsmanship. There should be no intimidation or black campaign. We are little people, just play sportsmanship," said Bagyo.

In the Solo Pilwalkot, he admitted that he had a target of getting 220 thousand votes by relying on a volunteer named Panji-Panji Hati or known as Tikus Pithi Hanata Baris. Bagyo emphasized that this volunteer would work to ensure the vote in the Solo Pilkada in December.

"The Pithi mouse will contribute by inviting friends and relatives to support Bajo. We prepare a form to record support from the family, for example a, b, c, d, e. These are the ones who are ready to support Bajo until voting," said Bagyo.

The Secretary General of the PDI-P Hasto Kristiyanto responded to his passing in the factual verification stage. He confirmed that he would present a healthy fight in the contest.

"We are ready to contest and you promise a healthy contest that educates the people, a contest which is colored by democratic values based on Pancasila," Hasto told reporters.

He explained that the presence of an independent pair as a candidate to challenge Gibran-Teguh was necessary in order to create a healthy democracy in the contest.

Hasto admitted that the party bearing the bull symbol would be ready to support Gibran-Teguh, whoever the opponent was. "Both candidates from outside, our independent candidates always state that they are ready and the key to victory is party solidity with a mutual cooperation strategy, so everyone is responsible," he said.