Airlangga Refuses To Respond To Hasto's Statement About Jokowi Wanting To Win PDIP From Megawati

Golkar Chairman Airlangga Hartarto/PHOTO: Nailin In Saroh-VOI

JAKARTA - Golkar Party Chairman Airlangga Hartarto was reluctant to comment on the statement by PDIP Secretary General Hasto Kristiyanto which stated that President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) had made an effort to take over the position of chairman of the PDIP.

Airlangga invited reporters to ask the person concerned about this.

"Ask those who give statements," said Airlangga at the Golkar Party DPP office, Wednesday, April 3.

Previously, PDIP Secretary General Hasto Kristiyanto, revealed that President Jokowi had tried to ask Megawati Soekarnoputri to hand over the seat of the PDIP chairman.

Hasto said that at that time Jokowi assigned one of his trusted ministers to contact the IPDN professor, Ryaas Rasyid, to persuade Megawati.

"There is a minister, there is a super powerful, some are powerful. So that I don't get it wrong, this is assigned to meet Ryaas Rasyid by President Jokowi," said Hasto in a discussion in the Menteng area, Central Jakarta, Tuesday, March 2.

Hasto said that Ryaas Rasyid was assigned to persuade Megawati so that the PDIP leadership would be handed over to Jokowi. The reason, said Hasto, is that Jokowi wants to have a long-term political vehicle.

"Mr. Ryaas Rasyid was assigned to persuade Mrs. Mega, so that the PDIP leadership would be handed over to Mr. Jokowi. So in the context of political vehicles for the next 21 years," he explained.