It is time for PDIP to move into opposition

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – Jokowi's betrayal of the PDIP should serve as a lesson: politics is not about seeking power, but about trying to establish democracy.

Had the breakdown in relations between Megawati Soekarnoputri and her Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) with President Joko Widodo occurred long ago, perhaps the democratic backsliding could have been avoided.

In his ten years in power, Joko Widodo has rolled back the democracy that had been established since the Reform era. Democratic institutions have been weakened by “legal” methods. He has transformed the House of Representatives (DPR) into an extension of his right arm by maintaining control over the majority of parties in parliament. He has rendered other organs that controlled the executive power powerless. After the revision of the relevant laws, the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) and the Constitutional Court have been placed under his control. With the weakening of these institutions, Joko Widodo has exercised power almost without any checks and balances.

The disagreement between Megawati and her party on the one hand, and Jokowi on the other is no longer a secret. After Megawati and Jokowi found themselves at odds over the 2024 elections, some party members called Jokowi a traitor. In addition to supporting a different presidential candidate, Jokowi has been accused of reducing the PDI-P's vote share in the legislative elections by deploying various resources, from welfare to government employees.

Following the presidential election and the defeat of PDI-P candidate Ganjar Pranowo, attacks on Jokowi by PDI-P politicians have intensified. At the same time, legal cases involving party politicians have been launched. A number of old cases have been revived, including the alleged bribery of General Election Commission Commissioner Wahyu Setiawan by Harun Masiku, which is likely to implicate PDI-P Secretary-General Hasto Kristiyanto. The investigation is set to continue, but at a time when relations between the PDI-P and Jokowi are strained, it gives the impression that the KPK is being used by the government to pressure the PDI-P.

Before the coalition collapsed, the PDI-P was one of Jokowi's main allies. It served as his vehicle in the 2014 and 2029 elections. Thanks to the support of the PDIP, which held the largest share of seats in the DPR, Jokowi's policies faced no significant opposition in parliament. A number of controversial laws initiated by the government, such as the Job Creation Law and the State Capital Law, were passed by lawmakers without issue.

The PDI-P must therefore share responsibility for Jokowi’s mistakes. In addition to supporting all of its former member’s policies and actions, it also enabled and benefited from Jokowi’s wrong decisions. The PDI-P, for example, supported the weakening of the KPK through a revision of the KPK Law. It is already public knowledge that many PDI-P members have been detained by the KPK for alleged corruption.

To overcome these problems, Megawati must remove all PDI-P ministers. The PDI-P’s argument that it would lose all ability to control the cabinet if it had no members in government – ​​something party politicians often asserted before the election – can no longer be used. And the fear that the ministerial positions vacated by the PDI-P will be filled by rotten politicians is irrelevant and only leaves the PDI-P vulnerable to accusations that it fears losing seats in government. It must not hesitate if it wants to go into opposition. It would be hypocritical of the PDI-P to attack Jokowi at the end of his term while seeking to profit from it.

After Jokowi leaves office, the PDI-P is expected to ignore the former president in its fight to retain his position as Speaker of the House of Representatives and other positions in the House of Representatives by revising the Law on National and Regional Legislatures. It is important to remember that Jokowi is a non-party person and will have no power after October 20.

The PDI-P must reform itself: it must control power. As the winner of the legislative elections, the PDI-P must not hesitate to become a balancing force in the new government. In this way, the party will make a real contribution to democracy.

According to Australian political scientist Marcus Mietzner, such a division of powers will not turn Indonesia into an autocratic nation like Thailand or Myanmar. Opposing Jokowi and simply parroting the new government's rhetoric would mean that the PDI-P is not seeking to save democracy, but only to take revenge on a member who betrayed it.

Read the full story in Tempo magazine