The 'Fight' Of The Faction In Golkar Makes Bahlil Not Calm

Photo Illustration By Andry Winarko (VOI)

JAKARTA Chairman of the Golkar Party, Bahlil Lahadalia may not be calm lately. The reason is of course the canceled doctorate by the University of Indonesia after sparking controversy in the public and of course his position as the top leader of the banyan who was sued at the Jakarta State Administrative Court (PTUN).

As we know, the Decree of the Minister of Law and Human Rights which ratifies the amendments to the Golkar Party's Articles of Association and Budget was sued by the Jakarta Administrative Court by one of the banyan cadres, Ilhamsyah Ainul Mattimu.

Quoted from the Jakarta PTUN website, the lawsuit which was registered on Monday, October 21, 2024 with case number 389/G/2024/PTUN.JKT will enter the first trial on Wednesday, November 20, 2024. The object of the lawsuit is the Decree of the Minister of Law and Human Rights of the Republic of Indonesia Number MHH-3.AH.11.03 of 2024 concerning Ratification of Amendments to the Golkar Party's Articles of Association and Household Budget, set in Jakarta on August 22, 2024.

'Granted the plaintiff's claim in its entirety and declared null or void against the Decree of the Minister of Law and Human Rights of the Republic of Indonesia Number M.HH-3.AH.11.03 of 2024 concerning Ratification of Amendments to the Golkar Party's Articles of Association and Household Budget, set in Jakarta on August 22, 2024,' Thus the petitioned petitum.

In addition, the defendant in this case is that the Minister of Law and Human Rights is required to revoke the Decree of the Minister of Law and Human Rights of the Republic of Indonesia Number M.HH-3.AH.11.03 of 2024 concerning Ratification of Amendments to the Golkar Party's Articles of Association and Household Budget, set in Jakarta on August 22, 2024 and sentenced the defendant to pay court fees.

Bahlil Lahadalia was elected by acclamation as General Chair of the Golkar Party in rapidmnas and National Conference at JCC, Central Jakarta, Tuesday, August 20, 2024, then officially appointed the next day. The Golkar National Conference which declared Bahlil as chairman was indeed fairly fast. This is because the Golkar National Conference should have been held in December 2024.

However, at that time, Airlangga Hartarto, announced his resignation. The management then appointed Agus Gumiwang as Acting Chairman of Golkar, as well as led the preparations for the National Conference to determine the definitive chairman after Airlangga's resignation. As a result, as is known together, the National Conference was finally held in August and gave birth to Bahlil Lahadalia as a sole candidate and was elected by acclamation.

One of the plaintiff's attorneys, Muhamad Kadafi, explained that his client's lawsuit was based on the discrepancy in the implementation of the Golkar Party's XI National Conference with the previous Golkar Party's AD/ART. The XI National Conference, which is the basis for the ratification of the AD/ART, was only carried out on August 20-21, 2024. Meanwhile, according to the previous AD/ART, the National Conference should be held in December 2024 once every five years," he said.

Ahead of the inaugural trial, there was actually shocking news from the public that the Administrative Court had granted Ilhamsyah Ainul Mattimu's lawsuit and canceled the Decree of the Minister of Law and Human Rights to ratify the changes to the AD/ART and management of the Golkar Party under Bahlil Lahadalia. However, the news was immediately denied by Bahlil.

The Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources in President Prabowo Subianto's Red and White Cabinet emphasized that the news that the Administrative Court had issued a verdict was a hoax. "Oh, that's a hoax," Bahlil said at the Golkar Party DPP, West Jakarta, Saturday, November 16, 2024.

Secretary for Law and Human Rights of the Golkar Party DPP Muhammad Sattu Pali added, although there was a lawsuit to question the results of the National Conference which decided Bahlil Lahadalia to become the General Chair of the Golkar Party DPP, the news that the Administrative Court had issued the decision was not the correct news.

"The news that the Administrative Court judge has canceled the Decree of the Indonesian Minister of Law and Human Rights regarding the ratification of the Golkar Party's AD/ART is false, tendentious and untrue news. How could the Administrative Court's decision have emerged, if the first trial had just started on November 20, 2024. This is clearly a false news or hoax, "he said.

He stated that his party had read the contents of the lawsuit filed at the Jakarta Administrative Court, and was optimistic that the Jakarta Administrative Court would reject the lawsuit. Pali is sure that when he issued the Decree of Ratification of Amendments to the Golkar Party's AD/ART, the Menkumham had fulfilled aspects of substance, aspects of authority, and procedural aspects, and did not violate the general principles of good governance.

Conflict Between Factions Is Called The Cause Of The Rocked Bahlil Seat

According to the Deputy Chairperson of the Golkar Party, Adies Kadir, the new Golkar management led by Bahlil has complied with the AD/ART rules. This is because the preparation of AD/ART has gone through a party mechanism which is attended by all voting rights holders. In addition, internal party affairs should be resolved through the Party Court. He said the implementation of the congress to elect a new chairman had also been held in a qualified manner.

On the other hand, Adies did not dismiss the assumption that there was a lawsuit against Bahlil's position due to the inter-faction conflict that occurred within the Golkar Party. Even though it has become a common secret that internal Golkar often has conflicts between parties, Adies asks all cadres to unite and focus on helping the new government under President Prabowo Subianto rather than continuing to provoke conflicts within the party.

"I'm just appealing, of course (the lawsuit to the Administrative Court) has intellectual actors behind them. We urge intellectual actors behind them, let us together if they want to build the Golkar Party, let's just relax," he said.

"This has been completed by our event. If you still don't want to accept it, you can still move forward, there is a forum, wait five more years. Be a little patient. Don't continue to process it," continued Adies.

Therefore, he regretted that there were still internal Golkar individuals or factions who continued to try to dwarf the party. In fact, Golkar's achievements were very good, especially the number of seats in parliament. The deputy chairman of the DPR for the 2024-2029 period also advised all cadres to run the party bureaucracy according to the AD/ART. For example, if you want to become an administrator, you have to enter and register in a good way.

"If you want to enter the management properly. Later we will accommodate it. Don't sue here and there, enter the management. There are still many institutions, we still don't choose all of them. So, don't take those methods, they will harm the Golkar Party themselves," said Adies.

Meanwhile, to the VOI Insight Team, one of the senior Golkar Party politicians who refused to be named, did not deny or confirm the suspicion that the conflict between factions was the cause of the general chairmanship of Bahlil Lahadalia being sued at the Jakarta Administrative Court. But he admitted, there are still many Golkar cadres who feel that Airlangga Hartarto's sudden resignation is not a lesson.

"We cannot deny the achievement of Golkar under Airlangga. The legislative elections are in the top two positions, even above Gerindra, and the number of seats in the DPR has also increased. Golkar also certainly played a big role in Pak Prabowo's victory in the last presidential election. With such achievements, it is natural for many cadres to wonder why Airlangga suddenly resigned," he said, Sunday, November 17, 2024.

He stated that the internal dynamics or inter-faction conflict in the Golkar Party is not new. Therefore, it remains only how Bahlil Lahadalia as the general chairman can organize and embrace all factions within the party. "There are many factions internally, right from the beginning, it's just a matter of how the general chairman can embrace all of them. Incidentally, now the general chairman is Bahlil," he added.

Citra Institute political observer, Efriza assessed that the election of Bahlil Lahadalia as general chairman reinforces the assumption that Airlangga Hartarto's resignation was an irregularity. Moreover, the strong suspicion that Bahlil was sponsored by the 7th President of the Republic of Indonesia, Joko Widodo (Jokowi) in order to fully control the Golkar Party. "Moreover, Airlangga Hartarto's resignation as the chairman was responded to by the public, was due to the existence of Bahlil's political movement which also held a meeting with President Jokowi," he said.

In addition, the election of Bahlil as the captain of Golkar raised concerns that the agenda would undermine the independence of the banyan party. This assumption is believed to cause Bahlil to be considered not to be the glue of solidity, after the resignation of Airlangga Hartarto, but could even be the beginning of the Golkar Party's internal solidity rift," added Efriza.