Sudirman Said Label Jokowi Langgengkan Nepotism Era Suharto

Co-Captain National Team Winning Anies-Muhaimin (AMINAn National Team) Sudirman Said/PHOTO: Diah Ayu-VOI

JAKARTA - The National Team for Winning Anies-Muhaimin (AmIN National Team) Sudirman Said defended President Joko Widodo as a leader who continued the practice of nepotism since the era of President Suharto during the New Order era.

The nepotism label was revealed by Sudirman when responding to President Joko Widodo's statement that the president and minister could campaign and sided with one of the election participants.

"If I call it nepotism. What encourages reform (year) 98 is acute nepotism, yes. Now it is being rebuilt and we do not want to accept it. We reject nepotism. We reject actions that fight democracy," said Sudirman at the House of Change, South Jakarta, Wednesday, January 24.

The practice of nepotism that Sudirman is worried about is the potential abuse of government authority or policy that benefits his son, namely Gibran Rakabuming Raka as vice presidential candidate number 2, paired with Prabowo Subianto.

"If only his son did not participate in the forced methods. If only his son entered it not by changing the law, not with the help of his uncle, maybe the public could accept it," said Sudirman.

"But it was all broken through. We remind you that there is a matter of ethics in the candidacy. This is increasing day by day there is a decrease in norms whose goal is for the benefit of the family," he continued.

If the neutrality of the country's leaders in the election contest continues, Sudirman Said said the democratic principles that have been built so far will lead to defects.

"If this continues, the quality of our election will be lower, and please remember that the whole world is now seeing our election," said the former Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources.

Previously, Jokowi emphasized that everyone has political and democratic rights, including ministers. In fact, Jokowi said that a president may take sides and campaign.

"The right of democracy, the political rights of every minister are the same. The important thing is that the president may campaign. The president may take sides. Yes," said Jokowi at Halim Perdanakusuma Air Base, East Jakarta.

Jokowi said that as a public official, he and the ministers could do politics. But, what must be remembered, state facilities should not be used other than for their work.

"But the most important thing is that during campaign time you can't use state facilities," he said.

"We are public officials as well as political officials. You can't do this, you can't do politics, you can't. The Minister is also allowed," Jokowi continued.

Even so, Jokowi did not explain much about the certainty of no conflict of interest if the president and ministers sided with certain pairs in the 2024 presidential election. He only said that the law only prohibits the use of state facilities.

"That's all, the one who arranges it can't only use state facilities. That's all," he concluded.