In The View Of TPN Ganjar-Mahfud, Megawati Still Respects Jokowi As President Of The Republic Of Indonesia

PDI-P General Chair Megawati Soekarnoputri with President Joko Widodo during the party's 50th anniversary celebration at JIExpo Kemayoran (10/1/2023). (Between/HO-PDI Perjuangan)

JAKARTA - Deputy Chairperson of the Ganjar-Mahfud National Winning Team (TPN), Ahmad Basarah said that the General Chairperson (Ketum) of the PDI-P DPP Megawati Soekarnoputri still respects President Joko Widodo as the leader of the Indonesian state.

"In the context of state affairs until now, Mrs. Mega continues to position Mr. Joko Widodo as President of the Republic of Indonesia in charge of state government, head of government, commander-in-chief of the TNI, and others," Basarah said in Jakarta, Sunday.

He emphasized that Megawati as the General Chair of the PDI-P DPP, explicitly prohibited her party members from insulting President Joko Widodo.

"Until now, Mrs. Mega has prohibited PDIP cadres, whoever she is, from taking action, words, words that attack Pak Jokowi's authority as president," he said, quoted by Antara.

According to him, with the current political conditions, the 5th President of the Republic of Indonesia is able to distinguish between political and state issues.

Basarah said that Megawati as the General Chair of the PDIP DPP, still adhered to the constitutional rules, namely that the affairs of presidential and vice presidential candidates are the authority of political parties.

This is stated in Article 6A paragraph 2 of the 1945 Constitution (UUD) which states that presidential and vice presidential candidates are proposed by political parties or coalitions of political parties before the election begins.

Therefore, Basarah stated that when President Joko Widodo, who is also the main cadre in the PDI-P, wanted presidential and vice-presidential candidates outside of his party's preferences, the right ethical step was to convey this to the PDI-P chairman first.

"So when Pak Jokowi then wants other presidential and vice presidential candidates, he should ethically convey this to Mrs. Megawati Soekarnoputri as the general chairman of the PDIP, because that's the party's rules," he said.