June 2, 2026 | 02:41 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Secretary-General of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP), Hasto Kristiyanto, stated that the second term of President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo transformed Indonesia into an authoritarian populist country.Hasto conveyed this during a speech at the commemoration of Pancasila Day at the PDIP Party School in South Jakarta on June 1, 2026. Initially, Hasto expressed regret that Indonesia's political and economic democracy has now shifted to a more centralistic model, noting that the Jokowi administration drove this change."Most notably, during President Jokowi's second term, Indonesia has transformed into an authoritarian and populist country," Hasto said.During Jokowi's final term, according to Hasto, the legal system became submissive to power. Even law enforcement officers and the entire state apparatus were reduced to tools for electoral mobilization and protectors of the ruling elite."This is what happened during the 2024 General Election, which is why during our National Conference, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle apologizes to all Indonesian people for this shift in the nature of governance due to power ambitions," Hasto said.According to Hasto, this compromise of the legal system has resulted in various cases of political criminalization, even though a fair legal system remains the fundamental foundation. "Without a just legal system, everything becomes expensive and riddled with uncertainty," he said.The PDIP officially expelled Jokowi, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, and Bobby Nasution from the party membership on Monday, December 16, 2024.The Chief of the Honor Division of the PDIP's Central Leadership Board, Komarudin Watubun, stated that the expulsion was announced before all chairpersons of the party's regional leadership boards across Indonesia."The party's Central Leadership Board will announce the decision letter for the expulsion of Saudara Joko Widodo, Saudara Gibran Rakabuming Raka, and Saudara Bobby Nasution, as well as 27 other members who were expelled," Komarudin said in a video received by Tempo.This letter of expulsion came as a recommendation resulting from the Consultative Meeting of the Party's Ethics and Discipline Committee dated October 11, 2024. Each of these recommendations is outlined in Extract Recommendations No. 8/K.E.D-PDIP/X/2024, No. 9/K.E.D-PDIP/X/2024, and No. 10/K.E.D-PDIP/X/2024.Based on Extract Recommendations No. 10/K.E.D-PDIP/X/2024, in its consideration to expel Jokowi, the PDIP declared that his actions and behavior as a party cadre assigned as president for the 2014-2019 and 2019-2024 terms violated the party's 2019 bylaws. Additionally, Jokowi was found to have breached the party's code of ethics and discipline by supporting a presidential and vice-presidential ticket from a rival coalition."By openly opposing the Central Leadership Board's decision regarding support for the presidential and vice-presidential candidates, the pair of Ganjar Pranowo and Mahfud MD, endorsed by the PDIP in the 2024 General Election, and endorsing candidates from other political parties under the Advanced Indonesia Coalition," reads consideration number seven in the aforementioned decision letter.Furthermore, Indonesia's seventh president Jokowi was also found to have abused his power to intervene in the Constitutional Court (MK). This abuse of power is viewed as the catalyst for the erosion of the democratic, legal, moral, and ethical systems underpinning national and state life, and is "considered a severe violation of party ethics and discipline."Annisa Febiola contributed to this articleRead: Why Jokowi Missed the 2026 Pancasila Day CeremonyClick here to get the latest news updates from Tempo on Google News
