TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesian Solidarity Party (PSI) secretary-general Raja Juli Antoni has called Prabowo’s and his Gerindra Party’s political fashion as primitive following a recent statement by Gerindra’s supervisory board deputy chief, Hashim Djojohadikusumo, that the party was open to the support of descendants of the now-defunct Indonesian Communist Party (PKI).

“This demonstrated the most primitive way of politics,” Toni told Tempo on Monday, January 28, 2019.

Toni said Gerindra’s politics was a far cry from value politics and ideology politics, as Gerindra had been voicing movements of anti-communism.

“Gerindra, which has always come up against the latent danger of communism, is now hoping for their support to make Prabowo victorious,” he said, adding that Hashim’s statement had annulled Gerindra’s ideology for power.

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On Sunday, January 27, Hashim said Gerindra was open to any support, including from PKI descendants and affiliates. Hashim made the statement when he was asked about the reason behind Gerindra’s close ties with the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) and Hizbut Tahrir Indonesia, which has been disbanded.

Hashim said the reason was because the party sought to prevail in the 2019 presidential race. “We will even receive support from the grandchildren and the grand-grandchildren of PKI. As long as Prabowo is not taken to the way of the hammer and sickle,” Prabowo’s younger brother said.

Toni, however, said he was grateful for Gerindra’s decision that acknowledged PKI descendants as ordinary citizens who were sans any link to past political affairs. “So finally Gerindra acknowledged them as citizens. Because the ones who had problems were their parents or grandparents,” he said.

FIKRI ARIGI