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JAKARTA: A top aide to the Indonesian president, Joko Widodo, was appointed chairman of an opposition party today, in a move that could expand the president’s coalition and strengthen his grip on parliament, although other party members questioned the legitimacy of measure.
Moeldoko, the president’s chief of staff, was appointed chairman of the Democratic Party at an extraordinary congress in North Sumatra province, according to live broadcast reports.
The Jokowi coalition, as the president is popularly known, already controls 74% of the 575 parliamentary seats in Southeast Asia’s largest economy, and the support of the Democratic Party would give it an additional 9 percentage points.
But Moeldoko’s appointment was contested by Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono, who said at a press conference late today that he was still the party’s chairman.
Agus, the son of Jokowi’s predecessor Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, is one of the new leaders who could run for president in 2024, according to polls by private pollsters.
“The extraordinary, illegal and unconstitutional congress was held by several members, former members, who conspired with external actors,” he said.
Agus urged Jokowi not to certify Moeldoko’s appointment and said he would file a complaint with law enforcement agencies.
The government is expected to confirm which party leader will be recognized by the state.
However, some analysts said that Jokowi would benefit from his senior staff running the party.
“With Moeldoko in the Democratic Party, the government will be stronger and this is not just a matter of 2024, but today … with this, the government will be very free to design policies related to politics and power,” Hendri said. Satrio, a political analyst at Paramadina University, though added that he could not be sure which person’s leadership claim was legitimate.
The Democratic Party was one of the minority parties that sought to block Jokowi’s flagship Job Creation Act last year.
