Politics is dynamic. Who would have thought, Prabowo Subianto chose one of the Gerindra Party cadres as well as the Deputy Governor of Jakarta, Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno, as a vice presidential candidate in the 2019 presidential election. Nobody even suspected, finally the Democrat Party and the Berkarya Party were in the Prabowo camp with Gerindra, the National Mandate Party and the Social Justice Party. In the final minutes Prabowo managed to bring the two political clans, Cikeas and Cendana, united under his banner.
Prabowo’s decision to choose Sandiaga was indeed beyond the estimation of many people. The reason is that Democrats invited to join the coalition proposed that Prabowo must make Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono, son of the general chairman, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY), as vice president.
On the other hand, the Ulema Council Forum was initiated by Islamic mass organizations, such as the National Movement for Fatwa Guards (GNPF) Ulama and Brotherhood Alumni (PA) 212, recommending Habib Salim Assegaf and Ustadz Abdul Somad (UAS) as vice presidential candidates for Prabowo. The decision of the Ijtima Ulama Forum which put forward Habib Salim Assegaf and UAS was supported by PKS. Meanwhile, PAN still wants their general chairman, Zulkifli Hasan, as Prabowo’s vice presidential candidate.
Prabowo is like being held hostage by the will of the two coalition camps. Both are like “simalakama fruit” for Prabowo. If he accommodates Democrats’ wishes, it is certain that PKS and PAN will leave the coalition. This will be a big loss for him because PKS and PAN were long time allies of Gerindra.
Both parties have a support base loyal to the party and militants. Another difficult choice for Prabowo if he accepts the proposal of the Ulema Council Forum by cooperating with Habib Salim Assegaf or UAS, he will find it difficult to get adequate logistics supplies to advance to the 2019 presidential election. Democrats who have the logistical ability to support Prabowo are definitely leaving.
In the midst of the general’s turmoil, Sandiaga appeared like a helping god to Prabowo and Gerindra. Secretly, despite the observations of many people, Sandi succeeded in carrying out “silent operations” so as to make PKS and PAN kneel and be willing to advance the deputy governor of DKI Jakarta as Prabowo’s companion vice president.
This fact had angered the Democrats, accusing Prabowo of not being able to hold a commitment. The Deputy Secretary-General of the Democratic Party, Andi Arief, arrived at Twitter, calling the three-star general a “cardboard general“. The Gerindra camp responded by calling SBY a “general baper”. The intimacy of the Democrats and Gerindra immediately evaporated.
Representatives of the GNPF and PA 212 also met Prabowo to ask for an explanation of the election of Sandi as a vice president while offering alternative candidates from the ulama, Ustad Arifin Ilham and Abdullah Gymnastiar (Aa Gym). However, Prabowo’s heart was locked in the password.
Facing Prabowo-Sandi’s declaration, the Chairman of the National Ulema Fatwa Guard Movement (GNPF-U), Yusuf Martak, called on the clergy and the people to remain calm and patient. “Called on all scholars and Muslims to remain calm and patient and remain istiqamah united with the ulama under the command of the Indonesian Muslim High Priest, Habib Rizieq Syihab,” Yusuf said in a written statement.
The presence of Sandi who suddenly appeared as Prabowo’s vice president led to the suspicion that he used the power of his money to get the position. Andi Arief accused PKS and PAN of receiving Rp. 500 billion in dowry from Sandi. Sandi did not want to comment on the rumors of the dowry. However, PKS and PAN are ready to bring Andi Arief to the law.
Also Supported by Berkarya Party
In the final seconds, the political map changes again. Prabowo again embraced the Democrats. Thursday (9/8/2018) night, Prabowo came to SBY’s residence in Mega Kuningan, Jakarta. Prabowo was like giving in, he was back and forth to SBY’s residence. That’s way declaration of presidential and vice presidential candidates can only be done before midnight.
Finally all happy. The Prabowo-Sandi support party coalition increased. On Friday afternoon, two children of SBY, AHY and Edhie Baskoro Yudhoyono (Ibas), were seen in the group who escorted Prabowo-Sandi to the General Election Commission (KPU) to register as presidential and vice presidential candidate.
Besides PKS and PAN, Prabowo-Sandi was supported by Democrats and the Berkarya Party led by Hutomo Mandala Putra (Tommy Soeharto). Berkarya party support was seen by the presence of Prabowo’s ex-wife, Siti Hediati Hariyadi (Titiek Soeharto). Titiek, who served as deputy chairman of the Party Board of Trustees Berkarya Party, arrived at the KPU. Surprise because all this time Prabowo’s relationship with the Cendana family was said to be not harmonious. After divorcing from Titiek, Prabowo was not considered as part of the Cendana family.
That is the political world, there is no eternal friend or foe, there is eternal interest. The Cikeas and Cendana clans share the same interests as Prabowo, regaining power in Indonesia. Currently Prabowo has no shortage of logistics to win the 2019-2024 presidency. Moreover, the two political dynasties in Indonesia, the Cikeas and Cendana clans, have unlimited sources of funds united so that Prabowo-Sandi does not need to worry about the campaign funds to seize power from the incumbent President Joko Widodo who is paired with K.H. Ma’ruf Amin.
The 2019 presidential election will run tight and both sides will mobilize all their resources to gain sympathy and the voice of the Indonesian people. The Indonesian people hope that the contestation of the two camps will no longer prioritize narratives with religions attacks on candidates and divide the people. Both camps must campaign in a healthy manner by promoting work programs that can attract the sympathy of the people.
