Criticizing Hasto, Democrats Review Amounts Of Subsidies For Poor People During Megawati-SBY-Jokowi Government

Chairman of the Democratic Party Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono alias AHY in his political speech at Tennis Indoor Senayan, Jakarta, Tuesday, March 14. (Nailin-VOI)

JAKARTA - The Democratic Party has responded to criticism from the Secretary General of the PDIP Hasto Kristiyanto on the speech of the Democratic General Secretary Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono (AHY) who discussed the government's partiality towards the poor or the underprivileged. Hasto commented on the speech through the Chairman of the PDI-P Democratic Struggle Volunteers (Repdem), Wanto Sugito.

Bappilu Democrat Deputy Kamhar Lakumani assessed that the comments by Hasto's staff lacked literacy. Hasto's gesture of asking his subordinates to criticize AHY also indirectly lowered his status as a PDIP elite.

"Maybe Hasto thinks highly of himself as the main official of the largest party currently in power to respond directly to this, therefore borrowing the hands of his lowest subordinates to respond. The intention is to elevate the degree, which happens on the contrary, to further lower the degree," Kamhar said in his statement to journalists, Thursday, March 16.

"The response of his staff reflects that he does not understand the problem, lacks literacy, and is even obscurantist. Eleven or twelve with Bung Hasto," he continued.

Kamhar then explained the data he owned regarding his partiality to the underprivileged based on the subsidy ratio. According to him, the subsidy ratio in the era of the 7th President of the Republic of Indonesia Joko Widodo (Jokowi) 2015-2023 was much smaller than the era of the 6th President of the Republic of Indonesia Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY).

"You can compare the data showing impartiality towards the underprivileged as reflected in the subsidy ratio for the 2015-2023 Jokowi government, which was only 9.77 percent. Mrs. Megawati's government from 2001-2004 was 17.33 percent," said Kamhar.

"While the government of SBY volume I 2004-2009 amounted to 20.45 percent and the government of SBY volume II amounted to 21.62 percent. Subsidies are a manifestation of pro-people policies," he added.

Kamhar then poked fun at the pandemic social assistance corruption case that dragged former Minister of Social Affairs (Mensos) Juliari Batubara, who is also a PDIP cadre. In his opinion, taking away the rights of the people who have been hit hard by COVID-19 is very bad.

"Not only are the social assistance funds smaller, even when the people are being hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Minister of Social Affairs, Juliari Batubara, a PDIP cadre, Bung Hasto's party, has actually been corrupted," said Kamhar.

Furthermore, Kamhar then highlighted the issue of extending the presidential term which had repeatedly surfaced during the Jokowi era. He claimed that SBY never even intended to extend his term of office after serving two terms.

"It's different from the current government which continues to revive the discourse and take steps that are read as an effort to extend the term of office or increase the periodization of the presidency," he explained.

Kamhar also reiterated the matter of AHY's speech which discussed support for an open proportional electoral system to be implemented in the 2024 election. According to Kamhar, Hasto harbored hatred and grudges against his party and SBY regarding his attitude towards this electoral system.

"Regarding the political speech of Mr. Chairman AHY about an open proportional election system, there are many digital traces that explain that Bung Hasto harbors hatred and grudges against the Democratic Party and Mr. SBY, including those linked to the 2009 elections," said Kamhar.

"After further investigation, this disappointment turned out to be the result of Bung Hasto failing to be re-elected as a people's representative from the East Java VII Dapil, while the Democrat Party won a big victory in that electoral area which includes Pacitan and its surroundings which is Pak SBY's hometown," he concluded.

Previously, PDIP Secretary General Hasto Kristiyanto gave a cold response to AHY's speech when asked for a response. Instead of answering, Hasto handed over his staff in the PDI-P party wing organization to respond to this.

"Later, let Wanto (Wanto Sugito) Chairman Repdem," Hasto told reporters, Wednesday, March 15.