Arya Bima's Relaxing Response To Matching Ganjar With RK, Hasto: Ordinary In The Dynamics Of Democracy

West Java Governor Ridwan Kamil (left) together with Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo (central) when giving gifts to residents at the West Java Healthy Movement event. (Photo: Doc. Antara)

Secretary General of the DPP PDI Perjuangan (PDIP) Hasto Kristiyanto responded casually to the statement by the Chairman of the PAN DPP and Mayor of Bogor, Bima Arya Sugiarto, that the pair Ganjar Pranowo and Ridwan Kamil (RK) could potentially be champions by the United Indonesia Coalition (KIB) if PDIP does not carry them.

Bima expressed the match for Ganjar and RK while attending an event at Mangkunegaran Temple.

According to Hasto, Bima Arya's statement is commonplace and natural. Hasto said Bima Arya was a political friend whom he knew well as a fellow young politician.

He also admitted that for a long time he had often had dialogues about the role of young politicians for the nation and state.

"Everyone can have an opinion, and that is progress in our democracy," said Hasto to reporters at a PDI-P New Members Briefing event throughout Indonesia at the PDIP Party School, Lenteng Agung, South Jakarta, Sunday, October 30.

Hasto assessed that the steps and political maneuvers regarding presidential and vice-presidential candidates are no longer taboo to talk about in a democratic realm.

According to him, this is different from the New Order era when Indonesia was raided by authoritarianism.

"If we remember that the New Order era, which was called the presidential and vice presidential candidates, was dominated by power, it was even forbidden to speak," said Hasto.

"So that (Bima Arya's statement that KIB is in the guise of Ganjar-RK, red) is something that can be conveyed to the public as part of a public discourse that match up," he continued.

However, Hasto underlined that for PDIP party discipline is very clear.

Therefore, regarding the presidential and vice presidential candidates that will be promoted by PDIP, it is the authority of the Chairperson of the PDI-P, Megawati Soekarnoputri.

"The mechanism is very clear and has been implemented properly, what about the presidential and vice presidential candidates. Where later on the right momentum will be announced by Mrs. Megawati," said Hasto.

Regarding the chances of the Ganjar-RK pair, Hasto assessed that everything was still very dynamic. Moreover, he said, the survey instrument must be announced openly in order to eliminate the biases of interest in it.

"For PDIP, the leader is well prepared. It does not appear because of imagery but because of collective work for the people, because of commitments for the future and it is prepared through political party regeneration," concluded Hasto.

Previously, the Mayor of Bogor who is also a PAN cadre, Arya Bima, said that the United Indonesia Coalition (KIB) might carry Ganjar Pranowo as a presidential candidate if it was not carried by the PDIP.

"The name Mas Ganjar is mentioned internally at KIB, if not Ganjar, he doesn't go from there (PDIP, ed), it will be very large in KIB," said Bima.

"Mas Ganjar and Kang Emil (Ridwan Kamil's nickname) are different but complement each other. Yes or not?," said Bima Arya.