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TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Not content with merely securing the vice-presidency for his son, President Joko Widodo or Jokowi is now eyeing the position of Chairman of the Golkar Party. The party’s National Congress is scheduled to be held in December this year, but the furor over the replacement of the chairman has already begun.
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There are four names that have entered the fray. The current Chairman, Airlangga Hartarto, is preparing to defend his position. The others include Minister of Industry Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita, Speaker of the People’s Consultative Assembly Bambang Soesatyo, and Investment Minister Bahlil Lahadalia. Bahlil Lahadalia has been vying for Airlangga’s chair since last year when Golkar had not yet declared support for the 2024 presidential candidate.
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At that time, a number of Golkar politicians approached the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P). However, this came to nothing because the Attorney General’s Office (AGO) began questioning Airlangga in relation to the alleged cooking oil corruption case. As Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Airlangga also led the Oil Palm Plantation Support Fund Management Agency (BPDPKS). The prosecutors suspected embezzlement of cooking oil subsidy funds.
The exploration for a coalition with the PDI-P collapsed. Airlangga immediately announced support for Prabowo Subianto, who was paired with President Jokowi’s son, Gibran Rakabuming Raka. Since then, Golkar has aligned itself and become the main supporter of this pair.
Now the elections are over. The provisional count from the General Election Commission shows that Prabowo has won the most votes. But Airlangga’s position is again under threat. Jokowi reportedly supports two Golkar politicians to take over the chairman’s seat. There is even a scenario where he himself will occupy that seat. However, this last approach is hindered by internal party rules that require the chairman to have been a party official for a minimum of five years.
Why does Jokowi want to take control of Golkar? He needs to control a major party to remain relevant in power bargaining after he is no longer president in October. Jokowi is still a member of the PDI-P, but his conflict with Chairperson Megawati Sukarnoputri means he is no longer able to take advantage of that party. Golkar, a party from the New Order regime that has always been close to government, is the easiest for him to join.
Will Jokowi be able to satisfy his desire for power this time? Some senior Golkar politicians still resist. Airlangga does not remain idle, although he tries to win sympathy from Jokowi by expressing his desire to serve the President’s son. Airlangga demonstrates this by holding a trial run of free school lunches—a flagship program of Gibran Rakabuming Raka.
The candidates for Golkar chair also try to garner support from party cadres in the regions. Who is the strongest candidate this time? Happy reading.
Bagja Hidayat
Deputy Chief Editor
Cover Story
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