PDIP: We are Solid Behind the Right of Inquiry
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16 March 2024 14:00 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - PDIP Secretary-General Hasto Kristiyanto explains the right of inquiry into alleged fraud in the 2024 General Elections and PDI-P’s chance to become the opposition party.
Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP) proposes that the House of Representatives (DPR) exercise its right of inquiry to investigate alleged fraudulent practices in the 2024 General Elections. The party, with a logo of a white-snouted bull, asserted that there had been massive election fraud.
PDI-P Secretary-General Hasto Kristiyanto claimed they had gathered a mountain of evidence and said the right of inquiry initiative was one way to unravel the fraud. The other strategy is to file a lawsuit with the Constitutional Court. “We need to make corrections,” he said.
Among the evidence of fraud held by Hasto is related to practices of money politics and intimidation by state institutions three days before the voting on February 14. The deluge of social aid packages also negatively impacted the PDI-P-backed Ganjar Pranowo-Mahfud Md. pair, who, as a result, received fewer votes. They lost to Prabowo Subianto-Gibran Rakabuming Raka on its own turf in the PDI-P strongholds like Central Java and Bali.
Pending the 2024 election results, which will almost certainly place Ganjar-Mahfud in third place, Hasto does not want to speculate about the political direction the PDI-P will be taking. He said the party had been offered to join Prabowo’s coalition but did not rule out the possibility that the PDI-P would be in opposition. “From our experience, staying outside the government is patriotic,” he said.
Hasto sat down with Tempo for a special interview at his private office in Central Jakarta on March 1. During the one-hour-long conversation, he talked about possible cooperation with the parties that nominated Anies Baswedan to initiate the inquiry right and about the relationship between the PDI-P and President Joko Widodo.
On Friday, March 8, or three days after the plenary meeting at the DPR, which was marked by interruptions regarding the proposal for the inquiry right, Hasto sent additional responses via WhatsApp about the absence of DPR Speaker Puan Maharani at the session and Ganjar’s status at the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK). Excerpts of the interview:
What is PDI-P’s goal in initiating an inquiry into election fraud?
We see it as an option. The other option is to file a lawsuit at the Constitutional Court. The right of inquiry is aimed at investigating important and strategic issues. The policies that allegedly violated the law and their impact on the nation and the people. We need to make corrections.
