Bara JP Volunteer Revives JK's Comment on the Country Being Ruined if Jokowi Becomes President

Bara JP volunteers responded to the statement by the 10th and 12th Vice President Jusuf Kalla (JK), who claimed that Joko Widodo (Jokowi) could become President due to his role.

Utje Gustaf, Chairman of the DPP Bara JP Supervisory Board, stated that JK was indeed one of the parties who pushed for Jokowi to become Jakarta Governor in 2012.

However, Utje recalled that JK’s support for Jokowi in the 2014 presidential election came late.

“Mr JK is one piece of history that helped push Mr Jokowi to become Jakarta Governor in 2012. Regarding Mr JK’s support for Mr Jokowi’s presidential candidacy, it came after the roar of the masses supporting Mr Jokowi’s presidential bid,” said Utje when contacted on Monday (20/4), quoted from detikcom.

Utje then brought up JK’s statement about Jokowi ahead of the 2014 presidential election. However, he still expressed thanks for JK’s role.

“Wasn’t there previously a statement from Mr JK that ‘this country will be ruined if Mr Jokowi becomes president’? But whatever it is, we thank Mr JK for his role, and ultimately it placed Mr JK as vice president alongside after the 2014 presidential election,” he said.

Utje also alluded to JK’s position when he lost as a presidential candidate in the 2009 presidential election. According to him, it is impossible for JK, who lost, to claim to have won Jokowi the 2014 presidential election.

“If claiming a major role in winning Mr Jokowi, I think that is refuted by referring to the 2009 presidential election where Mr JK ran as a presidential candidate. Mr JK in 2009 ran as a presidential candidate and got third place out of three candidates. It’s impossible to win others if he himself couldn’t win the presidential contest,” he stated.

“So in 2014, the Jokowi-JK pair won the presidential election more because of the Jokowi factor,” Utje added.

Previously, JK expressed his annoyance at accusations from Rismon Sianipar who said he funded Jokowi’s diploma case. JK then reminded of his role behind Jokowi’s career until becoming the 7th President of Indonesia.

This statement was made by JK when he was asked about a police report regarding a video of his lecture on ‘dying as a martyr’ at UGM. On that occasion, he once said that Jokowi became the 7th President of Indonesia because of him.

“Tell everyone that ultimately, Jokowi became president because of me,” JK emphasised.

Meanwhile, JK’s Spokesperson, Husain Abdullah, explained the reason JK conveyed his role behind Jokowi becoming President. Husain Abdullah initially said that JK’s statement was delivered due to frequent accusations of being ungrateful to Jokowi who made him vice president in 2014.

“Mr JK’s explanation, which was delivered in a high tone, was to convince Jokowi’s loyalists who often narrate that JK is ungrateful even though he was appointed as Vice President by Jokowi. No gratitude to Jokowi. JK is not emotional either. But JK has long held back from opening up about this,” said Husain.