Not A Cadre, Airlangga Ogah Responds To Maruarar Sirait Says Goodbye From PDIP

Golkar Chairman Airlangga Hartarto during a briefing with the Provincial Golkar DPD throughout Indonesia at the Golkar Party DPP Office, Jakarta, Wednesday, January 17. (Nailin-VOI)

JAKARTA - The general chairman of the Golkar Party, Airlangga Hartarto, refused to respond to the news of Maruarar Sirait's departure from PDIP. According to him, Maruarar, who is familiarly called Ara, is not a cadre of the banyan party, so he is not obliged to comment. "I did not respond to one or two people, and it is not a Golkar cadre," said Airlangga at the Golkar Party DPP Office, West Jakarta, Wednesday, January 17.

According to Airlangga, the issue became an internal matter between Ara and PDIP. "So let the members (response, ed). That's an internal matter," he said. Previously, the Deputy Chairperson of the Golkar Party, Meutya Hafid, revealed that his party was open to Maruarar if he wanted to join. But he said, Ara would join another party. "I heard maybe to another place, but just heard about it," Meutya told reporters at the DPR Building, Tuesday, January 16. "But Golkar is open. We're just happy. I know Ara too, maybe to Golkar, maybe also elsewhere," he continued.

Meutya enggan menyebut kisi-kisi partai apa yang akan menjadi pilihan Ara, sapaan akrab Maruarar. Meski begitu, di meyakini partai tersebut masih dalam satu koalisi pendukung Paslon nomor urut 2, Prabowo-Gibran. "Ya pasti dalam satu koalisi (KIM, red)," katanya. Diketahui, Maruarar Sirait memutuskan hengkang dari partai besutan Megawati Soekarnoputri karena ingin mengikuti langkah Presiden Joko Widodo (Jokowi). Hubungan PDIP dengan Jokowi saat ini dikabarkan merenggang karena pencalonan Gibran Rakabuming Raka sebagai cawapres.

"I believe Pak Jokowi is a leader who is very supported by the Indonesian people. His public trust, his rating proof is 75-80 percent. He has fought for many things," Maruarar said to reporters at the PDIP DPP Office, Menteng, Central Jakarta, Monday, January 15.

"So I chose to be with Mr. Jokowi in my next political choice in the future. Please pray for his blessing," he continued.