Ambitions and Ethics: PDI-P Called Out Gibran, Son of Jokowi, After Becoming Prabowo's Running Mate

Liputan6.com, Jakarta - Officials of the Indonesian Democratic Party-Struggle (PDI-Perjuangan) has openly spilled political secrets and called out President Joko Widodo's family after the president's son, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, is becoming Prabowo Subianto's running mate for 2024 election. Political ambitions and ethics are becoming the main subjects. 

Gibran Rakabuming Raka is currently the mayor of Solo. Gibran has quietly left PDI-Perjuangan to join Golkar Party which supports Prabowo in 2024, a move that irks the PDI-Perjuangan which expects all the party members to support Governor Ganjar Pranowo of Middle Java.

Now President Jokowi himself has not specifically announced to support Ganjar only.

The Secretary General of PDI-P, Hasto Kristiyanto, described Gibran's political behavior as a form of disobedience. Hasto also openly called out the decision of the Constitutional Court which recently has lowered the age limit for presidency/vice-presidency.

"What is happening in the entire chain links of Gibran's nomination is actually a political disobedience against the constitution and the people of Indonesia. Its entirety is combined with the legal engineering in the Constitutional Court," said Hasto Kristiyanto in his statement on Sunday (29/10/2023).

Hasto described the current situation as a "dark cloud of democracy". He also hopes Indonesian people will understand the political ambition behind this.

The leader of PDI-Perjuangan, former president Megawati Soekarnoputri, has not given her statement about Gibran's manoeuvre. 

The chief judge of the Constitutional Court is Anwar Usman, President Jokowi's brother-in-law (Gibran's uncle). Next week, Anwar is going to face ethical review after multiple legal experts protested his decision.

Previously, another PDI-P politician Adian Napitupulu said that President Joko Widodo's side decided to betray the party because PDI-P refused to support three terms presidency, a controversial idea which was spread in Indonesian politics last year. 

Adian, however, does not direcly accuse Presidetn Jokowi. 

"When there was a request for three periods, we rejected. This is about constitution. This is about the nation. This is about the people," said Adian in his statement.

The former activist also implied that the president wanted too much even though PDI-P already supported Jokowi as mayor ofSolo, governor of Jakarta, and president of Indonesia, and also helped his son and son-in-law to be mayors.

"There is this history: there was someone who came for recommendation to be mayor. Asking for recommendation, it was given," Adian recounted. "Then asked again to be a governor, asking for recommendation, it was given again. Then asking to be presidential nomineed, asking for nomination again, given again. Twice given."

"Later asking again for his son to be given. Then asked for son-in-law, given again. So many," Adian said.

The supporters of Jokowi, ProJo, denied Adian's statement. An official of ProJo, Panel Barus, stated that Adian's accusation is "dramatic" and "untrue". 

"President Jokowi never wanted his term to be extended," said Panel Barus.

Putu Merta Surya Putra, Delvira Hutabarat, and Nila Chrisna Yulika contributed to this report.