PDIP dismisses Jokowi's Indonesia tour as 'no impact, just handing out food parcels'

President Joko Widodo’s planned tour of Indonesia has drawn a cynical response from PDI-P politician Mohamad Guntur Romli, who claims it will have no meaningful political impact, including on electoral prospects or PDI-P’s local support. Guntur stated that Jokowi’s political influence has waned since leaving office, dismissing the notion that his ‘political safari’ with supporters could erode the party’s base. ‘There is absolutely no impact,’ Guntur told journalists on Friday (29 May). He also referenced the failure of the Indonesian Solidarity Party (PSI), led by Jokowi’s youngest son Kaesang Pangarep, to enter parliament in the 2024 elections despite Jokowi still being president. ‘Logically, even when Jokowi was president, PSI couldn’t get into parliament – now that he’s no longer in office, it’s even less likely,’ he added. Guntur suspects the tour is more social than political, likely involving aid distribution. ‘He’ll probably just hand out food parcels and cash envelopes,’ he said. Earlier, ProJokowi Secretary General Freddy Alex Damanik announced the former president would visit regions to assess public conditions and gather grassroots input. Freddy explained Jokowi would be accompanied by ProJokowi volunteers and other supporter groups. ‘President Jokowi wants to see the situation on the ground and hear what’s happening in the regions,’ he stated. Freddy also revealed that East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) would be the first destination, with plans to visit seaweed farming and meet local residents. (H-4)