PDIP Ready To Defend A Legislative Candidate Whose Voice Disappeared In The 2024 Legislative Election Because Of Jokowi's Frequent Criticism

PDIP Secretary General Hasto Kristiyanto/PHOTO: Wardhany Tsa Tsia-VOI

The Secretary General of the PDI-P (PDIP) said that he would defend legislative candidates who lost their votes because they were suspected of often criticizing President Joko Widodo (Jokowi).

It is known that a number of senior PDIP candidates did not qualify for parliament because of their votes. One of them is Ribka Tjiptaning, which is an incumbent from the West Java IV electoral district (dapil).

"It is empirically true, but it must be proven and we will fight to defend our cadres who have been critical in carrying out their democratic duties," Hasto told reporters at the Media Center of TPN Ganjar-Mahfud, Menteng, Central Jakarta, Thursday, March 21.

Hasto also mentioned the chairman of the PDIP DPC Gunung Kidul, Endah Subekti Kuntariningsih who suffered the same fate as Ribka. He said this made the alleged theft of votes to be proven in the Constitutional Court (MK).

Moreover, Endah said that Hasto was the most voting candidate in the 2019 Legislative Election. However, this condition changed after the cadre spoke about fraud in the 2024 presidential election.

"During the 2019 election he (Endah, ed) had the most votes, suddenly there was a systematic operation just because of his courage in opposing efforts to lower the PDI-P flags when President Jokowi came to Gunungkidul," he said.

"There are efforts by political operations to get rid of critical PDI-P cadres," continued Hasto.

Hasto said this condition would pose a danger to parliament. Do not let the DPR RI only be filled with legislators who are subject to power.

"When later the DPR will only be filled by those who are just subject to the strength of intimidation which can later shift more repressively, namely the danger to our democracy," concluded Hasto.