Learning From Gibran's Candidacy In The Solo Pilwalkot, Parties Are Asked To Listen To Grassroots Voices

Gibran Rakabuming Raka and Teguh Prakosa at the PDIP DPP, Jakarta (Wardhany Tsa Tsia / VOI)

JAKARTA - Political observer of the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) Dini Suryani assessed that political parties in Indonesia must start listening to the voices of supporters in grassroots circles, especially when nominating regional heads. This assessment was conveyed, in response to Gibran Rakabuming Raka's nomination as Mayor of Solo in the 2020 Pilkada.

According to him, the PDI Perjuangan Central Executive Board (DPP) seemed to go on its own not listening to the wishes of its supporters in the regions when giving recommendations to Gibran even though the vote of the PDIP Solo Branch Representative Council (DPC) wanted Achmad Purnomo to run as a candidate for mayor.

"Whereas those who better understand the characteristics of voters in the regions are of course the party structure below, namely the DPC," said Dini when contacted by VOI, Monday, July 20.

He said that this kind of incident actually did not only happen in PDIP. This is because a number of other parties often nominate candidates for regional heads who are not supported by grassroots groups in the regions.

This kind of nomination, said Dini, is actually dangerous because it is considered to cause internal disputes in the party and ends with the weakening of party solidity in winning over their regional head candidates.

Regarding Gibran's election, Dini said, PDIP is actually not unsure about Achmad Purnomo who has been promoted by DPC PDIP Solo. According to him, this election actually happened because of the name of President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) who was Gibran's father.

"So the reason is clearly not because Gibran is more capable than Purnomo or Gibran is more convincing than the party cadres. Another factor, of course, is because Gibran is the son of the incumbent president who might be considered to have contributed a lot to the party, especially in the last 10 years," he said.

With this incident, he also hopes that in the future party decision-making will no longer be concentrated in the central executive board. He also considered this as a way to prevent conflicts that would disrupt party solidity.

"There should be a decentralization of decisions to an appropriate level, especially regarding candidates for regional heads," he said.

Previously, PDI Perjuangan appointed Gibran Rakabuming Raka as a candidate for Mayor of Solo in the 2020 Pilkada which will be held on December 9. In the elections, he will pair up with Teguh Prakosa.

Gibran is the eldest son of President Jokowi who previously served as Mayor of Solo for two terms before finally becoming Governor of DKI Jakarta and winning the 2014 presidential election.

Responding to the recommendation, a number of parties then commented on the efforts to build dynastic politics. However, the Chairperson of the PDI-P DPP Ahmad Basarah denied the assumption that Gibran Rakabuming Raka's nomination as a candidate for mayor of Solo in the 2020 Pilkada was dynastic political practice.

This is because President Joko Widodo's eldest son, said Basarah, has competed internally in the party for recommendations from PDIP Chairman Megawati Soekarnoputri.

"Gibran in the Solo Pilkada contest must compete inside the PDIP to get a ticket for the Solo Polkada, to contest, and attract sympathy and the political choice of Solo citizens to be elected as Mayor of Solo," said Basarah in a written statement, Monday, July 20.

With Gibran's participation in internal party competitions, Gibran is considered not to perpetuate dynastic politics as many have accused. Because dynastic politics is a politics of power regeneration which is hereditary without an electoral process and direct election by the community.

Meanwhile, Gibran, even though he is President Jokowi's son, follows the political process within the PDIP and must be elected by the public before becoming mayor of Solo in the coming period.

"In this context, it is the people's court that will determine whether Gibran will be elected mayor or not to become Mayor of Solo and not because of his father's orders," he said.