Joko Widodo’s political move to strengthen the PSI (Indonesian Solidarity Party) in the regions has raised alarm bells for cabinet stability. Rumors of a cabinet reshuffle this June have surfaced as an effort to quell grassroots unrest and tame the wild dollar exchange rate.
By: Firdaus
Under increasingly gloomy regional skies, people’s plates of food are shrinking. Economic pressure, soaring prices of basic goods, and diminishing purchasing power are leading to the same outcome: a decline in the quality of life for people in the regions. However, this murky picture at the grassroots level contrasts with what is displayed on the social media platforms of the elite. In the capital and centers of power, party activists with close ties to the palace—both from the previous and current regimes—are flaunting their extravagant lifestyles.
This economic disparity is like dry chaff ready to ignite. Amid this social vulnerability, a provocative eruption has emerged from Solo. Former President Joko Widodo’s open declaration that he would go down to the city and district levels to strengthen the Indonesian Solidarity Party (PSI) was considered by many to be an insensitive move.
A number of political analysts believe Jokowi’s bravado is not without merit. Although no longer residing at the State Palace, the former president allegedly still holds control over a massive informal network. He is considered easily able to drive political consolidation in the regions using the remaining influence of his former power network.
For some, this maneuver is no longer merely an internal party consolidation, but a show of power and open political provocation. In the public sphere, the perception crystallized: Jokowi appears to still be able to manipulate the instruments of power down to the district and city levels. Suspicions have also spread that ministries and state institutions with vertical structures in the regions are facilitating this political movement. Understandably, many of the leaders of these vertical institutions are figures directly appointed during Jokowi’s ten-year term.
The impact of this friction is beginning to be felt on the ground. The causal relationship may be debated, but the reality is that the student movement in Makassar, South Sulawesi, has begun to take to the streets. They voiced their strong opposition to the PSI and condemned Jokowi’s visit to Daeng’s homeland.
This wave of rejection brought back memories of the massive demonstrations of August last year. At that time, public anger over the red carpet of dynastic politics nearly destroyed national political legitimacy.
The question now is: will the country’s leaders have the sensitivity to restrain themselves? Or will they choose to ignore it, triggering a social explosion far greater than last August?
Although the political storm last August did not undermine the leadership structure of the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR RI), the current situation provides a strong enough reason for the government to conduct a complete evaluation.
Restructuring the leadership structure, ministries, and institutions is considered urgent to restore public trust.
The planned cabinet reshuffle this June should be a golden opportunity. To strengthen domestic stability and security, a strategic option has emerged: elevating Home Affairs Minister Tito Karnavian to Coordinating Minister, while filling the position of Home Affairs Minister with a strong political lifeboat figure like Sufmi Dasco Ahmad. This shift, along with the replacement of several secondary ministers and heads of technical agencies, is expected to inject new energy into the government.
After all, the government’s main enemy right now is not the political opposition, but rather the macroeconomic indicators that continue to decline. The newly reshuffled cabinet must immediately roll up its sleeves and focus on one primary goal: taming the wild dollar exchange rate against the rupiah and breaking the chain of high prices for basic necessities in the market.
Otherwise, the dry chaff in the regions will literally turn into fire.
(The author is the General Chair of the Indonesian Cyber Media Union (SMSI)
