Constructive Opposition Needed to Advance Indonesia: Sandiaga Uno

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Sandiaga Uno has believed a constructive opposition is needed to help develop and advance the Indonesian nation.

"I am aware that we could develop the nation from outside. And we become opposition but maintain the friendship," he said on Sunday after participating in Belitung Triathlon 2019 in Sijuk.

He said the Jokowi-Ma'ruf Amin coalition is quite good. He, however, decided to remain outside the government, by becoming a strong opposition.

"This is also an aspiration of the public who want to see a strong opposition to correct the government's policies," he said.

Uno said he would halt his political activities and not return to his previous position as the deputy governor of Jakarta.

"As for the Jakarta deputy governor position, I have decided to not return to it, as the post is for PKS ( the Justice Prosperous) Party," he remarked. The General Elections Commission (KPU) announced the final results of the 2019 Presidential Election on May 22, 2019, at 1:28 a.m., declaring that the Jokowi-Maruf Amin pair had secured 85 million votes, or 55.5 percent of the national vote, as compared to contenders Prabowo Subianto-Sandiaga Uno who received 68 million votes, or 44.5 percent.

The Jokowi-Amin pair declared victory, while the Prabowo-Sandiaga pair rejected the KPU's official tabulation result and challenged it in the Constitutional Court (MK).

MK's nine judges announced their final ruling session on June 27, 2019, by totally rejecting the Prabowo-Sandiaga pair's petition.

Meanwhile, the Indonesian Justice Prosperity Coalition comprising Gerindra, PKS, PAN (the National Mandate Party), the Democrats Party (PD) and Berkarya Party that carried Prabowo Subianto and his running mate Sandiaga Uno in the 2019 Presidential Election, was declared defunct by Subianto, so their leadership could take the next political steps freely, Gerindra Party Secretary General Ahmad Muzani said. The struggle to save the Indonesian nation, however, is not over and has to be nurtured and fostered so that it continues to survive in the midst of society, according to Muzani.

Gerindra and PKS most likely will continue to be opposition parties. Mardani Ali Sera, although it has not been officially announced, according to the deputy secretary general of PKS. "I personally believe that critical and constructive opposition is the most rational choice for the current condition," Mardani Sera said.

Prabowo Subianto will absorb the aspirations of his supporters and discuss it with Gerindras cadres before declaring the party's stance, according to Andre Rosiade, Deputy Secretary General of Gerindra.

The party has been in the opposition since the start, and it should remain there to make Indonesia's democracy healthy and to apply the checks and balances for a proper democratic system, Muhammad Syafii, member of the Advisory Board of Gerindra, said. Therefore, the party will decline any offer to be a part of the government, including any ministerial position, he confirmed.

ANTARA

Read also: Sandiaga Uno to Stay with Prabowo: Gerindra Official