TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Commenting on the hashtag #2019GantiPresiden, Great Indonesia Movement [Gerindra] Party’s central board [DPP] chairman Habiburokhman suggests President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo to not take it personally.
The hashtag that has made rounds in the social media realm supports the idea of replacing the president in the 2019 presidential election.
“I think it’s normal to be competitive with hashtags,” said Habiburokhman yesterday.
He further compared it to the moment when protests emerged to topple chairwoman-cum-founder of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle [PDI-P], Megawati Soekarnoputri, from her presidential seat, which was not deemed as a violation. “So I hope that Pak Jokowi would not take it to the heart,” said Habiburokhman.
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The DPP chairman of the country’s opposing party also said it was normal for Jokowi to have supporters and people who opposed him. Habiburokhman added that the hashtag was constitutionally and legally coined to avert Jokowi from leading Indonesia for the second term.
“Enough Pak Jokowi, thank you for your dedication and we appreciate that. Despite his negatives, there are positives that Jokowi carries with him. We respect that, [but] we have had enough,” said Habiburokhman.
Responding to the hashtag, President Jokowi mentioned it in an event on Saturday, April 7. He said that a movement based on a tagline printed on a t-shirt was not sufficient to change a country’s president.
IMAM HAMDI
