Indonesia’s Party of Functional Groups (Golkar) yesterday appointed a top loyalist of Indonesian President Joko Widodo as its new leader, a move members say could enable the outgoing president to retain political influence long after he leaves office in October.
Bahlil Lahadalia, the newly appointed minister of energy and mineral resources and the president’s right-hand man, was chosen as general chairman of the nation’s second-largest party at its annual congress. Golkar was the party of late Indonesian president Suharto, who ruled Indonesia for three decades until 1998.
The hugely popular Widodo, better known as Jokowi, has served the maximum two terms allowed, and his immense political clout helped ensure former rival Prabowo Subianto won February’s presidential election by a huge margin.
Photo: Antara Foto / Asprilla Dwi Adha via Reuters
Four Golkar sources, several speaking on the sidelines of the congress on the condition of anonymity, said that Bahlil’s appointment could help Widodo to secure his legacy after Prabowo takes power.
Golkar members have said Widodo, who hails from the island of Java, has been quietly angling to shore up his power base through the party before stepping down.
Widodo’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
During his speech to the congress, Bahlil said that the party must be unified, and in an apparent reference to Widodo, he gave a veiled warning to its members to stay in line.
“If we play around with the king of Java, it will be dangerous for us,” he said.
Bahlil’s appointment comes during a transition period in which Prabowo has been fast consolidating power ahead of his presidency, culminating in him securing a parliamentary majority late last week, with support from parties that had backed his election rival.
As the largest party in the parliamentary coalition, Golkar could be central to the success or failure of Prabowo’s policy agenda, giving it significant bargaining power. Prabowo’s Great Indonesia Movement Party is the second-largest in the alliance.
“When Jokowi steps down as president he won’t have a political tool anymore,” one senior Golkar member said. “How will he maintain the balance with the new administration? He must take over, but he can’t take over Golkar alone.”
“Bahlil has proven his loyalty for all these years, so Jokowi trusts Bahlil,” the Golkar member said.
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