Observers Think Megawati's Speech Is Not Kerdilkan President Jokowi's Position

Megawati Soekarnoputri (Photo: ANTARA)

Political observer from Universitas Airlangga Surabaya, Haryadi, said that Megawati Soekarnoputri's speech to the PDI-P General Chair (PDIP) in the 50th anniversary of the party did not dwarf President Joko Widodo's position.

"It must be understood that the event was intended as a celebration within a large family and ordinary society. Because from the start it was designed to be an internal party event," Haryadi said as quoted by ANTARA, Saturday, January 14.

According to him, the most invited to attend were the Root Grass level, namely the management of the party branch and the Cakra Buana Task Force. Therefore, the leaders of other political parties who are elite levels were not invited. Even the ministerial level in President Joko Widodo's cabinet was not all invited.

"It should be in the family, it can be more open in speaking. The message as a big family is the hallmark of Mrs. Mega to build internal political markets and militants for cadres. PDIP is one of the parties with the most powerful political ID or identity. That is thanks to the strength of the internal political machine that Mrs. Mega built over the years," he said.

Such political methods have proven to be fruitful. Haryadi explained the factors that made PDIP successful in the 1999 elections. Furthermore, in the 2004 and 2009 elections, PDIP failed and was even thrown out of power. Next, in the 2014 and 2019 elections, PDIP regained power.

The Pilleg victory and at the same time the presidential election in 2014 and 2019 is a new record in electoral politics in Indonesia. The determinant factor for the two consecutive victories was that PDIP was lucky to have two role models at once, namely Megawati and Jokowi.

"The strength of these two figures has become the glue of a very strong party identity. At the same time it is the determinant of the successive victory of the PDI-P. Even though the potential for institutional strength is weakened by the implementation of an open proportional election system," said Haryadi.

Well, actually, if we can take a deeper look, the evidence above actually strengthens how important Jokowi's position is in the point of view of Megawati as the General Chair of the PDIP, without forgetting Mega's foresight as the leader of the maker and his soul as a statesman.

"Mrs. Mega put President Jokowi at the highest point of the party in the unity of movement in thinking about and fighting for the fate of the people. There is no subordination. And just like the body, the head is no more important than the hands or nails though. There is no beauty of the body's organs, if there is only a head without hands and nails," he said.

"Mrs. Mega clearly wants to say that the grassroots of the party and society are as important as himself and President Jokowi in the unity of a body called Indonesia," he said.

So, he continued, it is wise to interpret so that the interests wrapped in the philosophy of meaning in political communication do not get a place in an effort to break up the PDI-P and President Jokowi.

Haryadi suggested that all parties place each sentence in its context. "Don't truncate without context. Unless the dismissal is intentionally carried out for the motives and interests of naughty politics," he said.