Observer Opinions On Golkar's Success Under Airlangga Hartarto In The 2024 General Election

General Chairperson of Golkar, Airlangga Hartarto. (Special)

JAKARTA - The Golkar Party, one of the leading political parties in Indonesia, managed to record a significant increase in votes in the 2024 General Election. Compared to the 2019 Legislative Election, the votes won by Golkar increased by about 2-3 percent. This shows the success of the party in achieving public support and strengthening its position on the national political stage.

According to Adi Prayitno, Executive Director of Indonesian Political Parameters (PPI), the success of the Golkar Party in the 2024 election cannot be separated from the strong leadership shown by Airlangga Hartarto and the strategy focused on the role of cadres. Adi assessed that the General Chairperson of the Golkar Party was able to orchestrate the entire anatomy of the strength of the banyan party.

Adi also emphasized that Golkar was able to show a significant increase, especially given the challenges as a party that does not have a presidential and vice presidential candidate, which means it does not have a significant coattail effect.

"The leverage shown by Airlangga cannot be underestimated. The increase in Golkar's vote in this election is a concrete proof of its ability to improve the party's image and performance," said Prayitno.

Adi also highlighted Golkar's strategy as a modern party that does not rely too much on central figures. "Golkar has the characteristics of a modern party that relies on the power of cadres and mature strategies. Golkar candidates, as the spearhead of the party, have been tested and resilient," he explained.

Airlangga's continuous consolidation with cadres in various regions was also able to make up for the decrease in votes in the 2019 Legislative Election to be an advantage in the 2024 Legislative Election. "It requires hard work and consistency and they show this in this period," added the lecturer at the Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University, Jakarta.

In addition, Golkar also has an accurate strategy by placing several former regional heads as candidates who have proven to be able to raise the electability of the Golkar Party. This is also an advantage of the Golkar Party, where not only one or two former regional heads have been promoted but quite a lot," he added.

Adi also highlighted that Golkar's success in finalizing current government sustainability issues, as well as exposure to the performance of President Jokowi and Airlangga Hartarto, is also an important factor in achieving public support.

"Golkar was able to acquire this strategic position after the PDI-P began to relax with Jokowi. They managed to articulate the vision and mission that matched the needs of the community," he added.

Thus, the success of the Golkar Party in the 2024 General Election is not only driven by Airlangga Hartarto's strong leadership, but also by Airlangga's strategy which focuses on the role of cadres and the ability to acquire issues relevant to the sustainability of the current government.