PDIP Central Board Chairman Deddy Sitorus has responded to remarks by\nPSI Central Board Chairman Bestari Barus, who claimed PDIP continues to\ntalk about the 7th President of Indonesia, Joko Widodo (Jokowi). Deddy\nstated his party will never forget Jokowi and uses his case as learning\nmaterial internally.<\/p>\n
\u201cOf course, PDIP will never forget Jokowi, ever. In all our cadre\ntraining activities, the valuable lessons from Jokowi\u2019s presence are\ndiscussed as a case study,\u201d Deddy told reporters on Tuesday\n(16\/6\/2026).<\/p>\n
He then outlined several lessons from Jokowi\u2019s political journey,\nincluding those concerning power, ambition, and democratic dynamics.\n\u201cThat a person can change if they become addicted to power, fame, and\nwealth. Second, that someone can lie and deceive perfectly over a long\nperiod, simply by pretending to be naive and humble while harbouring\ncross-generational dynastic ambitions,\u201d Deddy said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThird, that power and the lust for it are so intoxicating they can\nmake someone bend all the foundations of democracy and the rule of law.\nIn that context, internally within PDIP, a Jokowi will never be\nforgotten but will serve as a bitter lesson for the future,\u201d he\ncontinued.<\/p>\n
Deddy also asserted that in the public sphere, PDIP will not actively\ndiscuss Jokowi, unless there are matters requiring a political response.\n\u201cThis debate about PDIP and Jokowi has been systematically and\nconsistently carried out by PSI leaders for months for their own\npolitical gain,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
According to him, PSI continues to try linking the two parties for\npolitical purposes. He assessed this strategy as an attempt to build\npublic sympathy through political conflict. \u201cThey think that by pitting\nPDIP against Jokowi, PSI and Jokowi will gain more public sympathy. This\nis a cheap tactic thought up by PSI leaders because they don\u2019t know how\nto grow their party through cadre training, organisational\nstrengthening, and hard work on the ground,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey only know shortcuts like poaching cadres from other parties or\ncreating sensational narratives in the media and on social media. So I\nurge the political turncoats now leading PSI to start learning how to\nbuild their party with sweat and blood,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, PDIP politician Guntur Romli stressed that Jokowi is never\ndiscussed within PDIP. He stated that Jokowi was expelled by PDIP.\n\u201cJokowi is no longer talked about in PDI Perjuangan. But if there are\nthose who still want to link Jokowi with PDI Perjuangan, like the\nframing done by Bestari Barus, we must explain that Jokowi was expelled\nby PDI Perjuangan, that Jokowi did not resign, did not leave, did not\nabandon PDI Perjuangan, but was fired and expelled by PDI Perjuangan,\u201d\nGuntur said.<\/p>\n
He emphasised that the relationship between PDIP and Jokowi ended\nafter the party imposed the expulsion sanction. According to him, Jokowi\nviolated the party\u2019s constitution and bylaws. \u201cJokowi did not resign,\nleave, or abandon PDI Perjuangan, but Jokowi was expelled and driven out\nof PDI Perjuangan. Jokowi is a \u2018malin kundang\u2019 (a treacherous child from\nMinangkabau folklore),\u201d he stated.<\/p>\n
Guntur also assessed that various issues related to Jokowi are no\nlonger connected to PDIP. He said Jokowi should be accountable to the\npeople for the policies he enacted during his presidency. \u201cIf the people\nare now experiencing hardship, then go ahead and demand responsibility\nfrom Jokowi, who supposedly wants to go on tour. PDI Perjuangan has been\nfirm; because Jokowi violated the rules, we expelled him. Now it\u2019s up to\nthe people, whether they want to welcome Jokowi or instead demand he\nfulfil his promises,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
Previously, PSI Central Board Chairman Bestari Barus responded to a\nstatement by PDIP Central Board Chairman Andreas Hugo Pareira, who said\nhis party had forgotten the 7th President Joko Widodo. PSI brought up\nJokowi\u2019s name, which continues to be discussed. \u201cWell, thank God, if\nsomeone has forgotten, they wouldn\u2019t remember, right? But they still\nkeep talking about him,\u201d Bestari told reporters on Monday (15\/6).<\/p>\n
Bestari said PDIP has not yet forgotten Jokowi. He brought up\nJokowi\u2019s electoral victories, attributing them not to PDIP but to the\npeople. \u201cThey haven\u2019t forgotten, right? They haven\u2019t moved on, have\nthey? So we are quite concerned about the feelings PDIP is experiencing\nover Mr Jokowi\u2019s departure to our party,\u201d Bestari said.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/pdip-accuses-psi-of-exploiting-jokowi-rift-for-political-sympathy-1781567489", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }