Jokowi's Suggestion To Bobby And Debate About Political Dynasties

Bobby Nasution (Mery Handayani / VOI)

JAKARTA - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) advised Bobby Nasution to be patient in facing the processes in the political world. This was said by Jokowi when Bobby shared his desire to advance in the 2020 Medan Regional Head Election (Pilkada).

In addition, Bobby was also asked to study his in-laws who were more experienced.

"His suggestion (Jokowi) remains to be yourself. If you enter the new world, you have to be patient and have to learn to be professional in your new world," said Bobby, when met at the Gerindra Faction room, DPR Building, Parliament Complex, Senayan, Jakarta, Friday, 21 February.

Bobby denied that Jokowi's blessing was a form of political dynasty. He said the political process he was going through was for the advancement of Medan, as his hometown.

"Yes, it's not a dynasty. We want to do something in our area, where we were born there. Yes, I don't think it's a dynasty," he said.

Jokowi had denied that the politics of Gibran Rakabuming Raka (eldest son) and Bobby (son-in-law) were his efforts to build a political dynasty. Jokowi explained that they all followed the nomination process in the party without any privileges, even though they chose the same party as Jokowi.

Rico Marbun, a political observer from the Median Survey Institute, said that no matter how hard Jokowi, Gibran and Bobby argue about the allegations of a political dynasty, it is meaningless.

Rico explained that political dynasties actually have two perspectives, namely definition and social taste. When it comes to definitions, everything that happens is a political dynasty. This is because this political dynasty is not new, it also exists in a democratic country.

Meanwhile, Rico continued, from a social perspective, political dynasties differ depending on the context. Rico gave an example, political dynasties with a bad social sense occurred in the Philippines. Where the family of the ruler seems to determine their own territory.

"Yes, please. This (Jokowi and his son-in-law) must be a political dynasty. But a political dynasty has a positive or negative meaning," said Rico.

According to Rico, when Jokowi and his family can prove their work, it will be positive. Moreover, if the election takes place neutrally, both the organizers and the officials. With this factor, according to Rico, bad views about political dynasties will disappear.

"If government instruments can be used to support a candidate who comes from a ruling family, then the political dynasty will have a negative social feeling," he said.

According to the rules, continued Rico, there is no prohibition against families of state officials from advancing in regional elections. Even so, for him, it was ethically politically inappropriate.

"Ethically, usually, like in America, there are no two (people in) the same family, running at the same time. For example, if the father is president, usually his child does not nominate as governor, regent, mayor. The ethic is like that. rules that prohibit, but that's ethics, "he said.