Gelora (People’s Wave) Party to be declared by Fahri Hamzah on Sunday (11/10/2019). Mr Hamzah, who is a senior activist, former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, also a former politician from the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), will cooperate with some of his former compatriots at PKS.
The party, which is seen as tilted as a line of heartache from the PKS, carries the theme of the people’s movement as the holder of a true political mandate. Therefore, the party chose October 28, Youth Oath Day, as their historic day.
The question that arises is, to what extent will this party take part? Sloping comments have repeatedly hit. On the other hand, Mr Hamzah also said that the Gelora Party would take part in the regional head election 2020. Participating in the regional elections was indeed one of the targets for the formation of the Gelora Party.
The public immediately guessed that the Gelora Party would begin to gnaw the pockets of PKS voters who had been famous for being militants. Call it the City of Depok, the southern part of West Java, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) as the area of origin Mr Hamzah, West Sumatra, South Kalimantan, and of course some parts of the DKI Jakarta area.
This is potential for the PKS’s internal power being undermined that makes the Gerindra Party hesitate to invite the PKS to form a coalition to fill the vacant position of the Deputy Governor of DKI Jakarta which was abandoned by Sandiaga Uno. Why work with parties that will have extraordinary leaks in the next election season? That perception arises from Gerindra.
Moreover, as is well known to the public, the selection process for the Deputy Governor to accompany Anies Baswedan is increasingly unclear. However, when discussions at the DKI Jakarta DPRD stalled, Gerindra instead proposed four new candidate. Previously, it had been agreed on two names from PKS, namely Ahmad Syaikhu and Agung Yulianto, but Gerindra suddenly proposed four names of new candidates for the Deputy Governor.
The response of the Jakarta DPRD PKS Faction towards the submission of four names from Gerindra also became a strong signal, although they were reluctant to say much. The PKS Faction submitted this case to the Central Management Board (DPD).
“Where was the name sent to? To the DPP? Then ask to DPP,” said the Deputy Chairman of the DPRD from the PKS Faction, Abdurrahman Suhaimi, in Jakarta, Thursday (11/07/2019).
Suhaimi said, the Regional Management Council to the PKS Faction in Jakarta only waited and followed the orders of the DPP related to Gerindra’s proposal for the Deputy Governor candidate. “We at DPW are waiting for instructions if we carry out this name,” he said.
His answered made the public increasingly suspicious that PKS, which could potentially be undermined in the future, was not seen by Gerindra as a useful political force. In other words, the Gelora Party, which was pouted at first, did have extraordinary explosive potential.
Is it true?
Nobody dares to be sure. However, the joining of Democratic Party politician, Deddy Mizwar, to the party made by Mr Hamzah and Anis Matta was inevitably adding strength. He claimed had sent a letter of resignation to the Democratic Party DPP.
He also said the Gelora Party would sign the party’s deed of establishment on Saturday (9/11/2019), and the declaration a day later. “The declaration was signed on Sunday (11/10), but I will not attend. I was only on the 9th, God willing,” he said.
The joining of Demiz, as he was familiarly called, further strengthened the direction signal of the Gelora Party’s power base. As a former Deputy Governor of West Java (West Java), he did have a rather loyal mass.
Significant contribution of Demiz, admitted by PAN Chairman, Hatta Rajasa, when acknowledging the victory of Ahmad Heryawan (Aher)-Demiz in 2013 gubernatorial election. Mr Rajasa said Demiz was a factor in panning the majority of the couple’s votes.
“Deddy Mizwar factor was extraordinary in providing carrying capacity,” Hatta said at the State Palace, Jakarta, Monday (2/25/2013).
As an evaluation, according to Mr Rajasa, the individual factor in this case the pair who will fight, has an important role in the election victory. He did not comment at the time about the defeat of the hero PAN, although continued to congratulate on the temporary victory of the Aher-Demiz.
Then, in addition to the Demiz factor with the election target, what background does the Gelora Party have to stand now when the political events are over and things are getting cold? Nobody understands the true purpose other than its founders.
However, as is well known to the public, the government has expressed its readiness to disburse financial aid funds to political parties sourced from the State Budget (APBN). Aid funds reach around IDR 6 trillion per year.
Assistance will be realized in 2023 or the fourth year of President Joko Widodo’s administration period II. “I (Bappenas) do not count alone, I count with the KPK, with one of the parties, I do not need to mention. Less than IDR 6 trillion in one year,” said the Director of Politics and Communications of the National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas), Wariki Sutikno, in Jakarta, Monday (11/04/2019).
He said, the financial assistance fund to the party of IDR 6 trillion was relatively small when compared with the projected 2023 Budget State (APBN) which reached around IDR 2,700 trillion. However, before the budget is disbursed, the government needs to revise a number of rules. The rules include Law Number 2 of 2011 concerning Political Parties and Law Number 7 of 2017 concerning General Elections.
“Not the first, second, third year of the RPJMN (2020-2024), this is likely to be the fourth year or the fifth year, 2023-2024,” he said, referring to funding from Budget State expected to reduce costs that are too large and eliminate money politics in each election general.
It is easy to form the perception that Gelora will have a greater chance of cooperating with the incumbent regime, contrary to the attitude taken by the PKS as the party originating from most of its founders. If that’s true what will happen, then what new hope can Mr Hamzah and Mr Matta sell to the Indonesian people?
