Our founding fathers chose the banyan tree as a symbol of the third pillar of the state ideology Pancasila – Indonesian unity, most likely due to its longevity and enormous size that provides protection. For the same reasons, the tree also represents the Golkar Party, as it claims to serve the political aspirations of people from all walks of life.
But over the past decade, Golkar has become a mere political tool of the power apparatus – at the expense of its core values, its electorate and, more importantly, the country’s young democracy. Since the party elite sees power as its only currency, Golkar has simply followed the regime’s tune, with all the consequences, including the replacement of the chairman who could not fulfill the ruler’s wishes.
The resignation of Golkar chairman Airlangga Hartarto on Sunday was shocking but not unexpected. Airlangga’s departure means that the party’s top post has changed four times in the past decade, excluding the dual leadership in 2016. Overall, the party has been marked by a power struggle that ended with the winner pledging loyalty to the government.
Airlangga’s decision to resign came just two months before the transition from President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo to President-elect Prabowo Subianto, which Airlangga helped prepare as part of the Onward Indonesia Coalition (KIM). As coordinating minister of economic affairs, Airlangga initiated a simulation for Prabowo’s free school feeding program, which will be his flagship program when he takes office in October.
Golkar, especially Airlangga, played a key role in paving Prabowo’s rise by forming the United Indonesia coalition (later renamed KIM) and nominating the Gerindra chairman for the presidential election, certainly at the request of President Jokowi.
Golkar under Airlangga was also the first political party to officially nominate Gibran Rakabuming Raka, Jokowi’s eldest son and Surakarta mayor, as Prabowo’s running mate. Gibran’s candidacy followed a controversial decision by the Constitutional Court to change the age limit for presidential and vice-presidential candidates set in the electoral law.
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As the leader of a pro-government party, Airlangga’s “sacrifice” is considered extraordinary. Not only did he give up his presidential candidacy for Prabowo, but he also put Golkar’s image at stake by following the ruler’s orders and seemingly ignoring democratic values. We recall Airlangga’s support of the idea of extending Jokowi’s term, which ultimately failed.
In a video message, Airlangga said he resigned from his post on Saturday night to “preserve Golkar’s integrity and ensure the stability of the imminent change of government.” He did not provide further details, but it is safe to say he has come under external pressure, having led the party almost unchallenged since December 2017.
In fact, friction has arisen between Golkar and KIM ahead of the November 27 regional elections. Golkar has finally allowed its cadre Ridwan Kamil to run for the governorship of Jakarta under the KIM flag. If Anies Baswedan enters the race, he will face tough competition. In Banten, however, Golkar has insisted on nominating its own politician, Airin Rachmi Diany, for the governorship and allying itself with Indonesia’s de facto opposition party, the Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), creating conflicts with the possible candidacy of Gerindra politician Andra Soni.
A joke circulating on social media says that Airlangga’s biggest mistake was not his involvement in a corruption case related to the distribution of cooking oil or the disharmony he caused within the KIM, but his loyalty to Jokowi. But whatever the motives behind Airlangga’s sudden resignation, the political drama only confirms that the country’s democracy is not doing well.
Before Golkar, the second largest party in the country after the PDI-P, smaller political parties had already fallen victim to the power games of those at the top. Democracy requires strong and credible political parties.
Airlangga said in his video message that democracy must be protected and strengthened, but Golkar has contributed to the democratic backsliding in the country. However, his remarks ring true that our democracy must become as strong as a banyan tree.
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