President: Avoid Controversy
JAKARTA, KOMPAS — Current political tensions are expected to increase ahead of 2018, regarded as the political year. These political dynamics can become a means for learning. However, if not managed properly, they can trigger controversy.
The political year of 2018 will be marked with the regional elections in 171 regions on June 27. The year is an important stage leading up to the general elections onApril 17, 2019, namely the candidacy of legislative members for the 2019-2024 period in July and registration of the presidential and vice-presidential pairs on Aug. 4-10, 2018.
The 2018 political agenda will in some cases affect the work of the government. This, among others, will be caused by reports that said that Social Affairs Minister Khofifah Indar Parawansa will take part in the East Java regional elections, the registration of which will be held on Jan. 8-10, 2018. Even though there is no provision requiring ministers to step down from their positions to take part in the regional elections, this condition demands an adjustment in the Work Cabinet of President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo.
Aside from that, in March 2018, the commander of the Indonesian Military (TNI), Gen. Gatot Nurmantyo, will reach retirement age. The recent political situation indicates that political tensions related to 2018 will emerge earlier than expected. This is mainly because the stages of general elections in 2019 have already started. For example, the registration of political parties to participate in the general elections in 2019 opened today.
Cabinet meeting
Ahead of the political year, in a plenary cabinet meeting in the State Palace in Jakarta on Monday (2/10), President Jokowi demanded that the situation remained conducive. "Don\'t act or make statements that would worry or confuse the public. All inter-institution or inter-ministerial problems have to be discussed with the coordinating ministers [and] vice president, and if they are not resolved, they can be discussed with me,” said the President.
Besides the ministers and chairmen of state institutions, also present at the plenary cabinet meeting, which was held from 2 p.m., were TNI commander Gen. Gatot Nurmantyo, National Police chief Gen. (Pol.) Tito Karnavian and chairman of the State Intelligence Agency (BIN) Gen. Budi Gunawan.
In the cabinet meeting, the President also emphasized that as head of government, head of state and the highest commander of the Army, Navy and Air Force, he ordered all chairmen of institutions and state institutions to focus on their respective duties. "Keep cooperating, keep working in synergy, maintain political stability and maintain economic stability. Improve our performance," ordered the President.
After the meeting, Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Wiranto asked that the recent controversy connected to the purchase of imported weapons by the National Police be ended. In addition to assuring that the problem can be settled internally, he asked all parties to refrain from speaking about the issue in public.
Cabinet Secretary Pramono Anung added that the government did not want its positive achievements disturbed by unproductive matters.
Economic condition
The president director of PT Hotel Sahid Jaya International Tbk, Hariyadi B Sukamdani, said the controversy would only burden the country’s economy, which has not fully recovered. “The global economic condition has not improved as well. The commotion will only worsen this situation," he said.
An impression of poor government coordination or inter-party disharmony in Indonesia, Hariyadi said, would badly affect the business world’s perception. Business players who want to expand their investments would begin to question their decision upon seeing such disharmony.
According to Hariyadi, the government should also be careful in making policies -- both economic policies and others — so as not to miss its target and become the source of controversy.
Deputy director of PT Astra Agro Lestari Joko Supriyono said that politicians need to act wisely and think about the problems of the nation. "Don\'t use tendentious issues for pragmatic and short-term interests," he said.
This is important, Joko added, because the heating political situation ahead of the regional elections and general elections in 2019 can lead to political instability and affect security. This situation can also affect the economy because building the economy requires political stability, security and legal certainty.
Continue increasing
Chairman of the central executive board of the Gerindra Party, Ahmad Riza Patria, reminded that political tensions would continue to intensify in 2018. With regards to this, the President must be wise in managing his supporting parties. If the President could manage the situation properly, the government will remain solid, which is key in curbing further tensions this year, he said. "That is the challenge for the President in each [term], especially whenever entering the political year," he added.
The management of political parties is particularly important because the seven parties that form the Jokowi-Jusuf Kalla coalition have an interest in raising their electability in 2019. These are the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), the Golkar Party, the National Awakening Party (PKB), the National Mandate Party (PAN), Nasdem Party, United Development Party (PPP) and the People’s Conscience Party (Hanura).
The head of Golkar’s regional elections division, Nusron Wahid, said the party was still faced challenged ahead of the upcoming political races because it was still busy with the legal case involving its general chairman, Setya Novanto. Even though Novanto has been cleared from his status as a suspect in the e-ID corruption case, he is still in poor physical health. “In fact, this time, the political year arrives earlier because the warm-up [to the elections] must start now," Nusron said.
Executive director of Poltracking Hanta Yuda said that the political year could start earlier because the stages for the 2019 general elections start now. Moreover, the regional elections in 2018 will be held in provinces that provide the biggest sources of votes, namely West Java, East Java and Central Java.
However, Hanta emphasized that if it was properly managed, the political year would serve as a positive lesson for the people of Indonesia. "The people will receive more information on the track records of certain political figures [and] become more aware in considering their preferences in future general elections," he said.
(NDY/CAS/FER/DD06/SAN/AGE/APA/NTA)