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CNA
22-07-2025
- Politics
- CNA
Jokowi says ‘fully supports' party chaired by son, but is the ex-president eyeing a bigger political vehicle?
JAKARTA: In his most extensive remarks on his next potential political vehicle after stepping down as Indonesia's seventh president, Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo has said he will fully support the Indonesian Solidarity Party (PSI) chaired by his youngest son. Analysts said that by throwing his weight behind PSI, there will be public expectation for the former president to help it perform better in the 2029 general election than its abysmal showing in previous polls. But his involvement in PSI remains unclear and is far from certain, given that Jokowi is not even a PSI member and does not have a formal leadership role, observers said, adding that he could be eyeing a position in another bigger party. The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) had backed Jokowi's political career and two successful presidential bids, but he had to leave the party in 2024 after deciding not to endorse PDI-P presidential candidate Ganjar Pranowo. Jokowi enjoyed high approval ratings during his two terms in office. But since stepping down as president in October 2024, signs are that Jokowi's influence is waning amid speculation over his health and whether he would take up a leadership role in a party as a vehicle to retain political relevance. So all eyes were on him last weekend as he spoke at the PSI Congress in Solo, where his son Kaesang Pangarep, 30, expectedly won a re-election as chairman of the youth-driven party. 'I will fully support PSI… I will work hard for PSI,' Jokowi told party members and supporters last Saturday (Jul 19). Jokowi also urged the party to finalise its organisational structure to help PSI better understand the aspirations of people across Indonesia. Typically, after a party congress, its chairman will decide other leadership positions. 'If the target for 2029 is simply to enter Senayan (parliament), I think that shouldn't be the target—because that must happen. It's too small if our goal is only to get into Senayan,' said Jokowi. When asked by reporters the next day what form his support for PSI might take, Jokowi simply reiterated that he would offer his 'full support'. 'It will be full support, which means working hard. I can be at the front, behind, or even in the middle,' said Jokowi, as quoted by news outlet Tempo. WHAT IS PSI? PSI was founded in November 2014 by a group of young activists promoting clean, transparent, and diversity-driven politics. Its first leader was Grace Natalie, a former journalist of Chinese-Indonesian descent. The absence of a strong influential figure has contributed to PSI's poor performance in the past two elections, said analysts. In the 2019 election, PSI secured only 1.89 per cent of the vote—well below the 4 per cent parliamentary threshold to win a seat. PSI then sought to rebrand itself by appointing Giring Ganesha, a former rock band vocalist, as its new leader. He was later replaced in 2023 by Kaesang after the party hit a low point and aimed to attract younger voters. PSI appointed Kaesang as party chairman just two days after he officially joined the party. Prior to that, Kaesang was a businessman with no political experience. Kaesang's leadership did help PSI increase its vote share to 2.80 per cent in last year's legislative elections, but it still fell short of the electoral threshold. PSI founder Jeffrie Geovanie admitted that appointing Kaesang in 2023 was a strategic move to capitalise on the Jokowi family name. Without that, he said, the party risked collapse due to declining popularity. 'If we don't even get even a drop of blood, a single support from the Jokowi family—or Jokowi himself — we might as well shut the party down,' Jeffrie said at the PSI congress over the weekend, recounting what he told party members before Kaesang was first appointed chairman in 2023. Kaesang was re-elected last weekend as chairman after securing more than 60 per cent of the votes, defeating two other candidates. JOKOWI AS PSI PATRON OR IS HE AIMING FOR SOMETHING BIGGER? Observers suggest that Jokowi's support for PSI may be in the form of a patron rather than a formal leadership post alongside his son. 'PSI's weakness all along has been its lack of a strong patron,' Ambang Priyonggo, assistant professor of political communication at the Multimedia Nusantara University, told CNA. 'Jokowi can influence public perception, so he will support the party from behind the scenes.' Agung Baskoro, a political analyst from the think tank Trias Politika Strategis, agreed, adding that the relationship between Jokowi and PSI is a mutually beneficial one. 'PSI needs a figure like Jokowi. Meanwhile, Jokowi needs a political vehicle to shield himself and his family from political attacks, as well as to protect his legacy and influence,' said Agung. Political communication analyst and KedaiKOPI survey institute founder Hendri Satrio noted that Jokowi now carries a big responsibility to elevate PSI's reputation, and will likely go 'all out' to do so, as PSI's resurgence would also help restore his own public image. 'If PSI collapses, the embarrassment falls on Jokowi. The party is trying to shift the burden of raising voter support onto the Jokowi family,' Hendri told CNA. According to Ambang of Multimedia Nusantara University, it is likely that Jokowi has not joined PSI as a leader or member because he sees his stature as bigger than that of the party. 'Someone of Jokowi's calibre is too big for PSI,' Ambang said. Furthermore, saying that he supports PSI does not preclude him from officially joining a more established party. 'There's a chance Jokowi could join another political vehicle. There's one party clearly affiliated with him — he could be recruited by that party: Golkar,' said Ambang. Agreeing, Made Supriatma, a visiting fellow at Singapore's ISEAS–Yusof Ishak Institute, believes that Jokowi is aiming to align with another party beyond PSI, calling "Golkar the ultimate prize". 'PSI has major limitations. It's run by Gen Z youth with minimal experience and no grassroots base,' Made told CNA. 'They're not from circles accustomed to political manoeuvring — unlike Golkar.' Golkar was part of Jokowi's two governments when he was president and had consistently supported his policies. Speculation about Jokowi joining Golkar has circulated since last year, though it has yet to materialise. Following the resignation of its leader Airlangga Hartarto in August 2024, Golkar appointed Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Bahlil Lahadalia, a key Jokowi ally, as its chairman. Made said that Golkar, founded in the 1960s during the New Order era, is arguably the most suitable party for Jokowi. However, he added that such a move would not be easy given Jokowi's waning political influence and the view among some in Golkar of him as someone who never contributed to building the party. Ambang also pointed out internal divisions within Golkar between factions that support Jokowi and those that oppose him. JOKOWI'S POLITICAL STANDING Observers whom CNA spoke to generally agreed that Jokowi still holds some political sway due to his former presidential status, but his influence is on the decline. 'In terms of electoral coattail effects, Jokowi likely doesn't have the same pull as before. His term is over, and issues like the fake diploma allegations have eroded his image,' said Ambang, referring to lawsuits filed based on such claims which have been denied by Jokowi and his university. Made of ISEAS Yusof-Ishak Institute added that many of Jokowi's former supporters have turned against him. This is especially after his other son Gibran Rakabuming Raka became vice-president following a controversial Constitutional Court ruling that lowered age requirements for presidential candidates and allowed the then 36-year-old to contest in last year's election. 'It's almost impossible for Jokowi to return to power. The post-Prabowo era will belong to the younger generation,' Made said, referring to President Prabowo Subianto. Analysts also downplayed the significance of Prabowo's recent visit to Solo to meet Jokowi for an hour, reportedly to brief his predecessor about the completion of the Indonesia-European Union Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement. Negotiations for the agreement had started during Jokowi's term and had taken 10 years before concluding earlier this month. Made said that the visit was just a way for Prabowo to still show respect to Jokowi, whom Prabowo had said played a crucial role in securing his victory in last year's presidential election. 'He didn't go there to report anything. There's no downside for Prabowo in continuing to respect Jokowi,' Made said. met with PDIP chair Megawati Soekarnoputri.
CNA
24-06-2025
- Politics
- CNA
Amid signs of waning influence, what's behind Jokowi's move not to contest top post of party chaired by son?
JAKARTA: Former Indonesian President Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo's decision not to run for the top post of a political party chaired by his son is aimed at giving the younger man greater political power, analysts say. They add, however, that without a political vehicle since his term ended eight months ago, there are signs that Jokowi's influence is waning. Since registration opened on May 13 for Indonesian Solidarity Party's (PSI) leadership election next month, all eyes have been on whether Jokowi would step forward to contest, with the former president himself not ruling it out when asked. But his younger son Kaesang Pangarep, PSI's incumbent chairman, confirmed last Saturday (Jun 21) that his father would not be contesting. Candidate registration closed on Monday. 'It is impossible that both son and father compete with each other," Kaesang said at a press conference. The 30-year-old added that he had persuaded his father to give younger politicians space to be in the political spotlight. He deflected a question on whether Jokowi, who turned 64 last Saturday, would join as a party cadre. Kaesang is running for the post of chairman in PSI's election along with two cadres, Ronald Sinaga and Agus Mulyono Herlambang. Members of PSI will vote between Jul 12 and 19, and hold a congress to declare the winner on Jul 19 and 20. JOKOWI TO SUPPORT SON FROM BEHIND THE SCENES PSI, known primarily as a political party comprising young supporters of Jokowi, was established in 2014 but has yet to garner enough votes to secure a seat in the national parliament. However, it has managed to increase its supporters over the years. Kaesang joined PSI in September 2023 and was named its chairman two days later. Questions over Widodo's health have made the news in recent days due to a change in his appearance, but analysts said this is unlikely to have been a factor in his decision not to join the PSI leadership contest. Some swelling and dark spots on his face were observed when he appeared last Saturday to greet birthday well-wishers, triggering speculation over his health. But an aide told the media that Widodo is physically fine and 'very, very healthy'. Changes to his skin are due to allergies he is said to have suffered after returning from the Vatican, where he attended Pope Francis' funeral on Apr 26. His condition is improving, added Jokowi's aide, Syarif Muhammad Fitriansyah. Analysts told CNA that Kaesang will likely continue to lead the party while Widodo supports him from behind the scenes as part of efforts to strengthen his political dynasty. 'This means that Jokowi will maximise his political power through Kaesang,' said political analyst Adi Prayitno from Universitas Islam Negeri Syarif Hidayatullah. Besides Kaesang, the youngest of three children, Widodo's oldest child and son-in-law are also in politics. Gibran Rakabuming Raka, 37, is Indonesia's current vice-president while North Sumatra governor Bobby Nasution, 33, is married to Jokowi's daughter. Analysts said Kaesang will most likely be re-elected PSI chairman. Widodo, on the other hand, does not need to be its chairman in order to have influence in the party, they said. He will likely continue to support Kaesang and guide him, given the latter's limited experience in politics, said Ray Rangkuti, director of Lingkar Madani think tank, which focuses on safeguarding democracy and assessing policies. Nicky Fahrizal, a political analyst with the think tank Centre for Strategic and International Studies, said Jokowi could take on an advisory board role, similar to former President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's role in the Democratic Party, which is led by his son Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono. 'Such a pattern is not new, and former President Suharto also held a similar role in the Golkar party,' said Nicky. 'Because Indonesian politics has not gone through many good reforms, the way political dynasties operate is not much different.' Suharto was Indonesia's second and longest-serving president. During his 31-year regime which lasted until 1998, Golkar was Indonesia's largest and most influential party. Some of his children were members of Golkar, but none held the role of chairperson. Besides PSI, there has also been talk of Jokowi possibly joining Golkar, though no concrete developments have emerged. Following the resignation of its leader Airlangga Hartarto in August 2024, Golkar appointed Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Bahlil Lahadalia, a key Jokowi ally, as its chairman. Among other things, analysts noted that Prabowo, who has often stated that his presidential win was only possible due to Jokowi's support, has been meeting with former President Megawati Soekarnoputri. She is the chairwoman of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), which expelled Widodo, Gibran and Bobby for failing to back its presidential candidate Ganjar Pranowo in the 2024 election. PDI-P holds the most seats in parliament and is the biggest party outside of Prabowo's coalition. On Prabowo appearing to be mending ties with Megawati, Ray said: 'Of course, Prabowo is trying to approach Megawati, because she has a party.' While the PSI will serve as a political tool for the Widodo family if either Gibran or Kaesang decides to run in future elections, there is 'still a long way' to go, said political analyst Adi from Universitas Islam Negeri Syarif Hidayatullah. Wasisto Raharjo Jati, a researcher at the Research Centre for Politics at the Indonesian National Research and Innovation Agency, wrote in a commentary that PSI's 'dramatic shift' from a progressive millennial party to one centred around the personality cult of Jokowi and his family has alienated many of its earlier supporters. 'But that shift may have created a mutually beneficial relationship between Jokowi and the political party,' he wrote in the commentary published by the University of Melbourne on Tuesday. 'The only problem is that PSI's dismal performance in the 2019 and 2024 national legislative elections casts doubt on its suitability as a key political vehicle for Jokowi in the future.' In 2019, PSI received 1.89 per cent of the national vote. It improved its performance in 2024 by gaining 2.81 per cent of votes, but this was still below the threshold of 4 per cent to secure a seat in parliament. For now, it appears Widodo has the ambition to strengthen his political dynasty but may not possess the means, analysts said. 'In Indonesian politics, there are three main elements one must have. Firstly, one needs to have a political party or a mass organisation with a large following,' said Ray.
The Star
08-06-2025
- Politics
- The Star
Former Indonesian president Jokowi signals interest in leading PSI over PPP
Jakarta motorists drive on Jan 18, 2024, past a campaign banner for legislative candidate Grace Natalie Louisa from the Indonesian Solidarity Party (PSI) that also features party chair Kaesang Pangarep (right, top) and his father, then-president Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo. - Photo: AFP file JAKARTA: Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo has dismissed speculation that he could be in the running to lead the United Development Party (PPP), instead indicating a preference for the Indonesian Solidarity Party (PSI) led by his youngest son, Kaesang Pangarep. Speaking to reporters on Friday (June 6) at his residence in Surakarta, Central Java, the former president, who is currently not a card-carrying member of any party, suggested others were better suited to helm the PPP, the nation's oldest Islamic party. 'There are many candidates within the PPP who are far better, have the competence and capacity for the role,' Jokowi said, as quoted by The PPP is currently preparing to hold its national congress, where it plans to elect a new chairman in hopes of staging a comeback after its resounding defeat in the 2024 legislative election that left it with zero seats in the House of Representatives. It was the party's first election loss since it was formed in 1973. Jokowi had been touted as a potential contender in the PPP's upcoming leadership race alongside other party outsiders, such as vocal government critic and losing presidential candidate Anies Baswedan, Agriculture Minister Amran Sulaiman and former Army chief of staff Dudung Abdurachman. Instead, the ex-president has indicated he is leaning toward the PSI, another small party that also failed to win any seats in the national legislature last year. A self-styled youth party that has been a staunch supporter of Jokowi since his first presidential bid in 2014, the PSI is set to hold its Pemilihan Raya (grand election) on July 19 in Surakarta and has publicly welcomed Jokowi to run for chairman. 'I'll just go with PSI,' Jokowi said on Friday. Jokowi has been cozying up to several political parties amid questions about his continued political relevance after his two-term presidency ended last year and his expulsion from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), the political vehicle that had backed him for over two decades. - The Jakarta Post/ANN
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Amnesty says Indonesia suppresses free speech with crackdowns on public protests
JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Amnesty International criticized Indonesia's government Tuesday, saying it suppresses free speech with crackdowns on public protests, targets journalists and rights activists and uses spyware against dissidents. The rights group said in its annual report on Indonesia that public protests 'were met with excessive and unnecessary force and arbitrary arrests,' including in August when thousands of demonstrators took to the streets to protest attempts by the House of Representatives to change the country's election law. The amendment would have permitted Kaesang Pangarep, the son of former president Joko Widodo, to run for regional office despite not meeting the age requirement for candidacy. The parliament eventually withdrew the bill after widespread criticism. The report said at least 344 people were arrested while taking part in public protests across the country in 2024, 152 of them were physically harmed and 17 suffered from the effects of tear gas, while 65 suffered multiple abuses, including 15 university students who were hospitalized. Most of those arrested were later released. It also recorded 123 cases of physical assaults and 288 digital attacks and threats against media workers and human rights activists, including 11 journalists in the capital, Jakarta, who were reportedly targeted by law enforcement. Incidents involved acts of intimidation, death threats and physical violence. The group also said unlawful killings of civilians 'continued with impunity' as the conflict between the Indonesian military and armed separatist groups in the restive region of Papua continued. Amnesty said the government continued to use spyware against dissidents despite a new law that came into effect last October that was supposed to protect people from digital snooping. The group said that the Personal Data Protection Law had not yet been implemented, including what was supposed to be the establishment of a dedicated data protection agency. Amnesty previously has reported that, based on its own research, the government from 2017 to 2023 imported spyware from Greece, Israel, Malaysia and Singapore that was used by police and government agencies. 'If the use of authoritarian practices is not stopped immediately, then we could be heading towards an epidemic of human rights violations, something we do not want,' said Usman Hamid, the Executive Director of Amnesty International Indonesia, while launching the report in Jakarta. Hamid said that although Indonesia has failed to uphold human rights in 2024, the group will continue to voice their support for President Prabowo Subianto 's administration "to make human rights the key to every policy the country takes, both domestically and internationally.' The Ministry for Law and Human Rights did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Jakarta-based Institute for Criminal Justice Reform, or ICJR, said arbitrary arrests and torture will continue in the country until its criminal code is reformed to curb the powers granted to law enforcement. 'Such reforms are essential to address the root cause of poor law enforcement, which arises from the broad powers granted to investigators to make arrests without proper oversight or legal review,' ICJR said in a statement. ___ This story has been corrected to add the title of Amnesty International Indonesia official.
Associated Press
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Associated Press
Amnesty says Indonesia suppresses free speech with crackdowns on public protests
JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Amnesty International criticized Indonesia's government Tuesday, saying it suppresses free speech with crackdowns on public protests, targets journalists and rights activists and uses spyware against dissidents. The rights group said in its annual report on Indonesia that public protests 'were met with excessive and unnecessary force and arbitrary arrests,' including in August when thousands of demonstrators took to the streets to protest attempts by the House of Representatives to change the country's election law. The amendment would have permitted Kaesang Pangarep, the son of former president Joko Widodo, to run for regional office despite not meeting the age requirement for candidacy. The parliament eventually withdrew the bill after widespread criticism. The report said at least 344 people were arrested while taking part in public protests across the country in 2024, 152 of them were physically harmed and 17 suffered from the effects of tear gas, while 65 suffered multiple abuses, including 15 university students who were hospitalized. Most of those arrested were later released. It also recorded 123 cases of physical assaults and 288 digital attacks and threats against media workers and human rights activists, including 11 journalists in the capital, Jakarta, who were reportedly targeted by law enforcement. Incidents involved acts of intimidation, death threats and physical violence. The group also said unlawful killings of civilians 'continued with impunity' as the conflict between the Indonesian military and armed separatist groups in the restive region of Papua continued. Amnesty said the government continued to use spyware against dissidents despite a new law that came into effect last October that was supposed to protect people from digital snooping. The group said that the Personal Data Protection Law had not yet been implemented, including what was supposed to be the establishment of a dedicated data protection agency. Amnesty previously has reported that, based on its own research, the government from 2017 to 2023 imported spyware from Greece, Israel, Malaysia and Singapore that was used by police and government agencies. 'If the use of authoritarian practices is not stopped immediately, then we could be heading towards an epidemic of human rights violations, something we do not want,' said Usman Hamid, the Executive Director of Amnesty International, while launching the report in Jakarta. Hamid said that although Indonesia has failed to uphold human rights in 2024, the group will continue to voice their support for President Prabowo Subianto 's administration 'to make human rights the key to every policy the country takes, both domestically and internationally.' The Ministry for Law and Human Rights did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Jakarta-based Institute for Criminal Justice Reform or ICJR said arbitrary arrests and torture will continue in the country until its criminal code is reformed to curb the powers granted to law enforcement. 'Such reforms are essential to address the root cause of poor law enforcement, which arises from the broad powers granted to investigators to make arrests without proper oversight or legal review,' the ICJR said in a statement.
