HTI May Exist Again If It Embraces Pancasila: Prabowo Camp

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - A spokesman for the Prabowo Subianto–Sandiaga Uno campaign team (BPN), Dian Fatwa, announced that the presidential candidate would express his stand on organizations or groups considered to be radical in tomorrow's presidential debate.

According to Dian, radical organizations such as the recently disbanded Hizbut Tahrir Indonesia (HTI) may possibly be legalized again once the group acknowledges Pancasila (the five state ideologies).

“If they embrace Pancasila then they have the right to live in Indonesia. If they accept our ideology, should we get rid of them?” said Dian Fatwa in Cikini, Jakarta, today.

Dian asserted that Prabowo Subianto and Sandiaga Uno, if elected, would give a second chance to organizations to account for their ideological stand and not be repressive against these organizations that upheld different life values from what Indonesia adopted. 

Read: Changes in 4th Presidential Debate between Jokowi, Prabowo

“We will hand them to court as opposed to disbanding them repressively,” said Dian.

An expert from Islamic State University Syarif Hidayatullah, Adi Prayitno, meanwhile, predicted the disbandment of HTI would become a hot topic in the upcoming presidential debate.

Adi said the disbandment of HTI would become both Jokowi’s strength and weakness in the debate. On the other side, he added, Prabowo—who has been frequently rumored to have close ties to radical groups—should also shed light on the allegations on stage.

DEWI NURITA