REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Secretary General of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP), Hasto Kristiyanto received a question about the party's attitude towards its cadre in the government cabinet of President Joko Widodo (Jokowi). Particularly after Mahfud MD officially resigned from the position of Coordinating Minister for Politics, Law, and Security (Menkopolhukam).

Hasto said that the PDIP will first look closely at the political conditions and the Cabinet of Indonesia Forward. Especially in the last 13 days before the election on February 14.

“We are watching (whether to withdraw or not), there is still an opportunity in the next 13 days to make a correction in the conduct of the elections. Where the highest authority in this system of government should be truly neutral and ensure the voice of the people is the voice of God,” Hasto said at the DPP PDIP office, Jakarta, Thursday (1/2/2024).

It is known that a number of PDIP cadres occupy a number of ministerial seats in the Cabinet of Indonesia Maju. Starting from Pramono Anung, Yasonna H Laoly, Tri Rismaharini, Abdullah Azwar Anas, and Bintang Puspayoga.

As for now, Indonesia's stability in the midst of political contestation is the reason PDIP retains its cadres who are in the cabinet. Unlike Mahfud MD who had already gone through various considerations before stepping down.

“So frankly, for us PDI Struggle, of course, the interests of the nation above all else. Whatever political stability, it is very important in the midst of the current geopolitical fight, amid the threat of an economic crisis due to unfinished geopolitical issues,” Hasto said.

Nevertheless, he did express that there is discomfort in the current Indonesian Maju Cabinet. One of them is related to social assistance programs (bansos) which became the domain of Risma as Minister of Social Affairs (Mensos).

However, the program currently no longer refers to data belonging to the Ministry of Social Affairs (Kemensos). In fact, the ministry always carries out periodic validation, verification and updates of the data of citizens who are beneficiaries of assistance.

“The data is not used to divide the rice poor and rice is only used for electoral gain. Even so sad, the statement from Mr. Akbar Faisal, how the total funding for the bansos was far beyond the budget for Covid,” Hasto said.

“This is very unfortunate, very unfortunate,” he said.

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