DPP PDIP Has Been Reminded, Colonels Council Supporting Puan Maharani For 2024 Presidential Candidate Still Not Disbanded

Chairperson of the PDIP DPP as well as DPR, Puan Maharani. (Doc PDIP)

JAKARTA - The Colonel Council is an association of DPR members from the PDI-P Faction (PDIP) who supports DPR Chair Puan Maharani as a 2024 presidential candidate.

A member of the DPR from the PDIP faction, Junimart Girsang, said that the Colonel Council already has a command post or basecamp. So far, one member of the Colonel's Council said the Puan Maharani loyalist would not disband.

"Until now we are still communicating, we even have an office for it. Around Senayan here, we have an office for the Colonel Council. We have Basecamp. We have a command post," Junimart told reporters at the DPR Building, Senayan, Jakarta, Wednesday, September 21.

Junimart explained that the Colonel Council post was provided so that the team members would be ready if PDIP General Chair Megawati Soekarnoputri decided to nominate Puan as a presidential candidate in 2024. Even so, Junimart emphasized that this team would stand up to Megawati's decision regarding the presidential election.

"To talk about how, for example, the General Chairwoman will determine the presidential candidate, Mrs. Puan Maharani, of course, we have moved and are ready. We are still waiting for the decision from Mrs. Mega," he explained.

The Deputy Chair of Commission II of the DPR confirmed that the Colonel Council would not "disband" even though it was not Puan who would be promoted by PDIP as a presidential candidate. According to him, the Colonel Council will always be there to carry out the party's duties according to Megawati's decision.

"No (disbanded). It's still our Council of Colonels. We are political people. For example, we will make the post as a post who Mrs. (Megawati) decides," said Junimart.

Junimart said this team certainly did not receive a warning from the PDIP DPP. Because he said, the 'Colonel Council' did not precede Megawati's decision on the declaration of presidential candidacy.

"Did we ever make a declaration? We didn't, except for a declaration. We never said, 'Our presidential candidate, Mrs. Puan Maharani.

Previously, PDIP Secretary General Hasto Kristiyanto reminded party cadres to be disciplined regarding presidential and vice presidential candidates. He conveyed this in response to the emergence of the Council of Colonels, which was formed by members of the DPR from the PDIP Faction to support the Chairperson of the DPR, Puan Maharani.

Hasto warned that the issue of presidential and vice presidential candidates could lead to dynamics. So, everyone is asked to be careful in acting.

"All cadres need to be disciplined, especially with regard to the presidential and vice presidential candidates, the dynamics are very strong," Hasto told reporters at the PDIP DPP Party School, Lenteng Agung, South Jakarta, Wednesday, September 21.

According to the direction of the PDIP General Chair Megawati Soekarnoputri, continued Hasto, the cadres must engage in politics by looking at the context. In addition, the party bearing the symbol of the bull is now focusing on helping the people.

Moreover, the Colonel's Council was deemed not to be based on the PDIP's Articles of Association (AD/ART). Therefore, the team does not exist.

"I was reminded by the general chairwoman that politics must look at the context. My context is that the party goes down to help the people, builds people's hopes, especially the situation that has not recovered due to the pandemic then followed by policies that had to be taken against fuel hikes," he stressed.

Hasto admitted that he had reprimanded the DPP PDIP faction in the DPR. He emphasized that party cadres in parliament must focus on the function of legislation.

"The party's stance is very clear and then I also told Mr. Utut (Chairman of the PDIP Faction in the Indonesian House of Representatives Utut Adianto) that the PDI-P faction of the DPR RI is primarily an extension of the party in fighting for all party ideologies and platforms, including the functions of legislation, budgeting, and oversight," he said.

"There is no such thing as a Colonel Council because it is not in accordance with the AD/ART," he concluded.