If The PDIP DPP In Fact Calls 'Colonnel Council' Only Guyon: Joking Then Quoted

DPR Speaker Puan Maharani in Sarinah (Photo: BPMI Setpres/ Laily Rachev)

JAKARTA - A team called 'Colonel Council' was formed to win Puan Maharani as a presidential candidate in the 2024 presidential election (Pilpres). The team consisted of twelve members of the Indonesian House of Representatives from the PDI-P faction. Regarding this Council of Colonels, the chairman of the PDIP DPP, Said Abdullah, even denied that there were a number of cadres who formed a team to help win Puan Maharani in 2024. He said, the issue of the candidacy of all PDIP cadres was still obedient to the direction of the General Chair, Megawati Soekarnoputri.

Therefore, he considered that the Council of Colonels was just a joke between a number of members of the DPR who were loyal to Puan. Said emphasized that PDIP had not yet formed any team to encourage Puan Maharani as a presidential candidate in 2024.

"This is a brief talk, then we joked with each other and were quoted," said Said Abdullah, Wednesday, September 21. Previously, the initiator of the 'Colonel Council', a member of the DPR from the PDIP faction, Johan Budi, said that this movement to prepare DPR Speaker Puan Maharani for the 2024 presidential election was not related to the PDIP Central Executive Board (DPP). The former KPK spokesman explained that Puan's 'winner team' had been announced about three months ago. Puan, said Johan, also knew about this group. "So, in the PDIP faction at that time we discussed, we supported Ms. Puan, what if we made a team. The team that helped Ms. Puan to become a presidential candidate. This has nothing to do with the DPP, you know. But we in the faction there is a group of people, we want to be Ms. Puan's team to prepare for the presidential election," said Johan Budi.

"Then I suggest, we just form a team. I call the Council of Colonels. That's the story," continued Johan.

However, the member of Commission III of the DPR said the Council of Colonels was still waiting for the decision of PDIP General Chair Megawati Soekarnoputri regarding the name of the presidential candidate. If it is Puan appointed by Mega, said Johan, then the team is ready to move to campaign for the first female DPR Chair.

"Of course we are still waiting for the decision of the general chairman who is (elected, ed). But if we have prepared first, for example, if later Ms. Puan is appointed, this team is ready," said the former spokesman for the KPK. However, if it is not Puan Maharani who is appointed as a presidential candidate or vice presidential candidate, Johan is reluctant to reveal. According to him, the question will be answered if there is a decision from Megawati. Once again Johan Budi emphasized that the formation of the Council of Colonels is not related to the DPP, not also the PDIP faction in the DPR. This team is just an initiative of cadres as a form of loyalty to Puan Maharani. "No, it doesn't matter, this has nothing to do with the DPP. The initiative of people per person, not factions either," said Johan. Johan said that Puan already knew about this Council of Colonels through the Chair of the Utut Adianto Faction and the Secretary of the Bambang Wuryanto Faction (Bambang Pacul.

"Initially, Ma Pacul and Ma Pacul didn't come. We, the Council of Colonels, were looking for the general. So, we've just appointed it. But we report (to Puan)'Ms., are we, Ms. Puan agrees?' That's it, you know," said Johan.