Democratic Party (Indonesia) Explained

Name English:Democratic Party
Name Native:Indonesian: Partai Demokrat
Leader1 Title:General Chairman
Leader1 Name:Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono
Leader2 Title:Secretary-General
Leader2 Name:Teuku Riefky Harsya
Leader3 Title:DPR group leader
Leader3 Name:Edhie Baskoro Yudhoyono
Headquarters:Jakarta
Women:Srikandi Demokrat (Democratic Srikandi)
Youth:Generasi Muda Demokrat (Democratic Young Generation)
Membership:345,359[1]
Membership Year:2022
Ideology:Pancasila[2]
Indonesian nationalism
Economic liberalism
Pluralism
Secularism
Political Position:Centre to centre-right
National:Advanced Indonesia Coalition
Slogan:Indonesian: Nasionalis, Religius
[3]
Ballno:14
Country:Indonesia

The Democratic Party (Indonesian: Partai Demokrat) is a centre to centre-right nationalist political party in Indonesia. Currently, it holds 54 seats in the House of Representatives (DPR). It is led by Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono (AHY), the son of Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY), who served as the President of Indonesia from 2004 to 2014.

Founded in September 2001 as the political vehicle of SBY, the party gained its initial parliamentary representation following the 2004 legislative election, and SBY was elected as president. It then became one of the major parties in SBY's governing coalition. In 2009, the party assumed power by winning the majority of votes in the legislative election and became the ruling and largest party in the DPR, with SBY re-elected for his second term. In 2014, the party performed poorly in the legislative election, losing half of its seats in the DPR and subsequently served as the opposition to the Joko Widodo (Jokowi) administration. In the 2020 party congress, AHY was elected as the chairman. In 2024, it joined the government coalition and AHY was appointed as the Minister of Agrarian Affairs and Spatial Planning.

History

Origins

The 2001 Special Session of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) resulted in Megawati Sukarnoputri's election as Indonesia's president, creating a vice president vacancy. Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY), a candidate, lost to Hamzah Haz. Yudhoyono's popularity, evident in his vice presidential bid, prompted supporter Vence Rumangkang to propose forming a party for the 2004 elections. Yudhoyono approved and delegated party formation to Rumangkang. SBY himself did not directly participate in the creation of the party, although his wife Ani Yudhoyono claimed a leadership position. The party was formed by intellectual and academic circles.

From 12 to 19 August 2001, Rumangkang, with Yudhoyono's input, finalized the party's outline. On 9 September 2001 (Yudhoyono's 52nd birthday), the Democratic Party was declared, registered at the Ministry of Law and Human Rights on 10 September 2001, and Subur Budhisantoso was elected party chairman.

2004–2014: The Yudhoyono administration and largest party status

The party won 7.5% share of votes and won 57 out of 560 seats in the People's Representative Council (DPR) in the 2004 legislative election and finished in fifth place overall. The party nominated Yudhoyono as its presidential candidate, with Jusuf Kalla as the vice presidential candidate. In this, they were also supported by the Crescent Star Party and Indonesian Justice and Unity Party. Yudhoyono and Kalla won the first round of elections in July 2004 with 33.6% of the votes and would go on to win 60.1% in the run-offs, thereby securing Yudhoyono's election as president. In May 2005, the party held its first party congress, during which Hadi Utomo was elected as chairman. Nevertheless, the highest authority in the Party remained with Yudhoyono, who was elected was chairman of the Advisory Board (Indonesian: Dewan Pembina).

The party came first in the 2009 legislative election with 20.9 percent of the votes, making it the largest party in the DPR, with 148 seats, just over one quarter of the total.[4] Yudhoyono won the election, with former governor of Bank Indonesia, Boediono, as vice presidential candidate, with a total tally of 60.8% in first round of runoff system election, beating former president Megawati and incumbent vice-president Kalla. After the resignation of Anas Urbaningrum, the party held an extraordinary congress on 30 March 2013 in Bali to fill the chairmanship. Yudhoyono ran unopposed and was unanimously elected after no other party members decided to run.

For the 2014 legislative election, the party set a target of 15% of the national vote, less than its 2009 share. One reason the party expected its vote to fall was that Yudhoyono would not able to run for president, having served the two terms allowed for in the constitution.[2] However, the party won only 10.19%, losing over half of its seats in the legislature.

Post–2014: AHY chairmanship and internal conflict

For the 2019 legislative election, the party initially set a target of 15%, but later changed the target to 10% of the national vote.[5] The party managed to gain 7.77% of the vote, losing some seats in the legislature.[6] On March 15, 2020, Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono (AHY), who had previously commanded the Joint Task Command (Kogasma) during the 2019 general election, was elected as the new chairman, replacing his father.[7]

On 5 March 2021, an unauthorized extraordinary congress in Deli Serdang convened by some party members elected Moeldoko as the new chairman, contrary to the 2020 congress that elected AHY as the chairman until 2025.[8] Former chairman Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono opposed the congress, arguing it was unlawful, as neither the party's high council nor majority of its regional branches had requested it.[9] [10] AHY claimed Moeldoko's election was illegal, asserting himself as the legitimate party leader.[11] On 31 March 2021, the government confirmed the extraordinary congress result as illegitimate, affirming AHY as the rightful chairman of the party.[12]

Entering the beginning of 2023, the Democratic Party through its decision chose to nominate Anies Baswedan to become a presidential candidate.[13] [14] Apart from that, the Democrats also nominated their general chairman, Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono, to be Anies' running mate.[15] However shockingly, Anies selected Muhaimin Iskandar from the National Awakening Party (PKB) after the latter left Prabowo Subianto's Advanced Indonesia Coalition.[16] [17] As the result of Muhaimin's appointment as Anies' running mate, AHY and the Democratic Party withdrew their support and left their coalition.[18] After their exit, the Democratic Party was approached by PDI-P who is hoping for AHY to back Ganjar Pranowo as Hasto Kristiyanto claimed intense communications are underway.[19] The Democrats also got approached by the Advanced Indonesia Coalition as Prabowo held a meeting together with his father in Cikeas.[20] After many considerations, on 21 September 2023 in Jakarta Convention Center, AHY and the Democratic Party declared to back Prabowo Subianto in his presidential campaign.[21] [22] Ironically, both AHY and Moeldoko supported the same candidate for the 2024 presidential election.[23]

Political identities

Ideology

The 2008 Law on Political Parties states that political parties are allowed to include specific characteristics that reflect their political aspirations, as long as they do not contradict Pancasila and the 1945 Constitution.[24] As per Articles 2 and 3 of its constitution and bylaws (AD/ART), the Democratic Party is founded on Pancasila and "nationalist-religious" is its slogan. It views attempts to clash nationalism and religion as incorrect and misleading. Outsider views on the party's political orientation vary. Academics and domestic observers classified it as a nationalist party,[25] while their international counterparts described it as a secular-nationalist,[26] conservative, or national-liberal party.[27] Its political leaning has been described as centrist,[28] [29] [30] centre-right,[31] or catch-all party.[32] [33]

Political positions

The Democratic Party parliamentary group in the DPR have expressed their opinions on a few issues:

YearBillsVotesParty stances/Other views
2019Revision of Law on the Corruption Eradication Commission
2022Law on Sexual Violence Crimes
2022Law on State Capital
2022Revision of the Indonesian Criminal Code
2023Omnibus Law on Job Creation

Chairpersons

Controversies

Corruption Cases

Muhammad Nazaruddin was dismissed by the Democratic Party's ethics council from his position as party treasurer in May 2011 due to his involvement in a corruption case, but he remained a legislator in the House of Representatives. Constitutional Court chief Mahfud MD said Nazaruddin had given S$120,000 ($96,900) to Constitutional Court secretary general Janedri M. Gaffar in 2010. The money was later returned to Nazaruddin.[34] On 24 May 2011, Mahfud reported Nazaruddin to the Corruption Eradication Commission for allegedly trying to bribe a court official.[35]

On 20 April 2012, Nazaruddin was convicted of corruption and sentenced to four years and 10 months in prison and fined approximately US$22,000. He was found guilty of accepting over 4.68 billion rupiah in return for helping rig the tenders for an athletes' village built for the Southeast Asian Games in South Sumatra in November 2011.[36]

Nazaruddin was arrested by Interpol in Cartagena, Colombia in August 2011, having fled Indonesia after being named a suspect in the case.[37]

The Nazaruddin scandal was followed by the naming of a number of high-ranking party officials and legislators as suspects in numerous graft cases. Most prominent among them was Youth and Sports Minister Andi Mallarangeng, who resigned in December 2012.[38] Mallarangeng was named suspect in the same athlete training camp case which had involved Nazaruddin.[39] Business tycoon Siti Hartati Murdaya, who had served on the party's Advisory Board, resigned in August 2012 after becoming embroiled in a corruption case for which she was later jailed.[40]

#ShameOnYouSBY

In 2014, the emergence of the hashtag #ShameOnYouSBY and several other hashtags on Twitter attacking the President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and the Democratic Party occurred due to the walk out of most members of the Democratic Party faction during the plenary session for the ratification of the Regional Election Law which resulted in the election of regional heads such as governors, regents and mayor by the Regional Representative Council.[41] It was later revealed that there was a miscommunication between the President and his party fraction as the parliamentary leader of the Democratic Party, Nurhayati Ali Assegaf misread the President's message from "all out" to "walk out".[42]

Election results

Legislative election results

ElectionBallot numberTotal seats wonTotal votesShare of votesOutcome of electionParty leader
200498,455,2257.45%[43] 55 seats, Governing coalitionSusilo Bambang Yudhoyono (Founding board chair)
Subur Budhisantoso (General chair)
20093121,703,13720.85%95 seats, Governing coalitionSusilo Bambang Yudhoyono (Founding board chair)
Hadi Utomo (General chair)
2014712,728,91310.19%[44] 89 seats, OppositionSusilo Bambang Yudhoyono
20191410,876,5077.77%[45] 7 seats, Opposition (2019 - 2024)
Governing coalition (2024)
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono
20241411,283,0537.43%10 seats, Governing coalitionAgus Harimurti Yudhoyono

Presidential election results

ElectionBallot numberCandidateRunning mate1st round
Share of votesOutcome2nd round
Share of votesOutcome
20044Susilo Bambang YudhoyonoJusuf Kalla39,838,18433.57%69,266,35060.62%
20092Susilo Bambang YudhoyonoBoediono73,874,56260.80%
20141Prabowo Subianto[46] Hatta Rajasa62,576,44446.85%
20192Prabowo SubiantoSandiaga Uno68,650,23944.50%
20242Prabowo SubiantoGibran Rakabuming Raka96,214,69158.59%
Note: Bold text indicates the party member

References

Sources

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Info Pemilu - Partai Demokrat . Komisi Pemilihan Umum RI . 22 December 2022 . 10 January 2023.
  2. Book: Bestian . Nainggolan . Yohan . Wahyu . Partai Politik Indonesia 1999-2019 . Kompas Media Nusantara . 2016 . Jakarta . 151 . id . 978-602-412-005-4.
  3. Web site: Aspinall . Edward . Fossati . Diego . Muhtadi . Burhanuddin . Warburton . Eve . Mapping the Indonesian political spectrum . New Mandala . en-AU . April 24, 2018 . 2024-03-02.
  4. Web site: KPU Ubah Perolehan Kursi Parpol di DPR (KPU Changes Allocations of Parties' seats in the DPR) . Indonesian General Election Commission . 14 May 2009 . id . https://web.archive.org/web/20141006080451/http://mediacenter.kpu.go.id/berita/472-kpu-rubah-perolehan-kursi-parpol-di-dpr.html . 6 October 2014.
  5. Web site: Dariyanto . Erwin . 8 Mar 2019 . Pakai Strategi Rel Ganda, AHY Revisi Target Suara Demokrat . 2021-03-05 . detiknews . id-ID.
  6. Web site: Putri . Zunita . 2019 . KPU Tetapkan Hasil Pileg 2019: PDIP Juara, Disusul Gerindra-Golkar . 2021-03-05 . detiknews . id-ID.
  7. Web site: Medistiara . Yulida . 16 Mar 2020 . 'Dinasti' Partai Demokrat dari SBY ke AHY . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20210901150454/https://news.detik.com/berita/d-4940411/dinasti-partai-demokrat-dari-sby-ke-ahy . Sep 1, 2021 . 2021-03-06 . detiknews . id-ID.
  8. Web site: Lubis. Ahmad Arfah Fansuri. KLB Demokrat di Sumut Tetapkan Moeldoko Jadi Ketum!. 2021-03-05. detiknews. id-ID.
  9. Web site: Nufus . Wilda Hayatun . 5 Mar 2021 . SBY Malu Pernah Beri Jabatan ke Moeldoko: Saya Mohon Ampun Pada Allah . 2021-03-05 . detiknews . id-ID.
  10. Web site: Nufus. Wilda. 2021-03-05. Pernyataan Lengkap SBY soal KLB Demokrat Sumut Tetapkan Moeldoko Jadi Ketum. 2021-03-05. detik.com.
  11. Web site: Berutu . Sachril Agustin . 2021-03-05 . AHY: KSP Moeldoko Ketum Demokrat Abal-abal Versi KLB Ilegal! . 2021-03-05 . detiknews . id-ID.
  12. Web site: Sihombing . Rolando Fransiscus . 2021-03-31 . Pemerintah Tolak Kepengurusan Partai Demokrat Kubu Moeldoko! . 2021-03-31 . detiknews . id-ID.
  13. Web site: Guritno . Tatang . 2023-02-22 . AHY Sebut Demokrat Telah Resmi Usung Anies sebagai Capres . 2024-03-04 . KOMPAS.com . id.
  14. Web site: Febriyan . 2023-02-24 . Sudah Resmi Dukung Anies Baswedan, Demokrat: Deklarasi Koalisi Perubahan Tunggu Timing yang Tepat . 2024-03-04 . Tempo . en.
  15. Web site: Luxiana . Kadek Melda . Demokrat Harap AHY Jadi Cawapres Anies, PKS Ajukan Aher . 2024-03-04 . detiknews . id-ID.
  16. Web site: Riset . Tim . Jadi Cawapres Anies, Begini Peta Kekuatan Pemilih Cak Imin . 2024-02-23 . CNBC Indonesia . id-ID.
  17. Web site: Rahyuni . Finta . PKB Gabung Koalisi, Anies: Arah Kita Tetap Perubahan . 2024-02-23 . detiknews . id-ID.
  18. Web site: Demokrat Resmi Tarik Dukungan buat Anies Baswedan sebagai Bakal Capres 2024 . 2024-02-23 . id.
  19. Web site: Sinambela . Narda Margareta . 2023-09-09 . Sekjen PDIP buka suara soal Demokrat merapat dukung Ganjar Pranowo . 2024-02-23 . Antara News . id.
  20. Web site: Saubani . Andri . 2023-10-17 . Prabowo Temui SBY di Cikeas pada Selasa Siang . 2024-02-23 . Republika Online . id.
  21. Web site: Mawangi . Genta Tenri . 2023-09-21 . Demokrat deklarasi dukung Prabowo, resmi masuk Koalisi Indonesia Maju . 2024-02-23 . Antara News . id.
  22. Web site: dtv . Demokrat Deklarasi Dukung Prabowo sebagai Capres . 2024-02-23 . detiknews . id-ID.
  23. Web site: Mirsan . Adi . 2023-11-03 . Pembegal dan Korban Begal Bersatu, Demokrat AHY dan Moeldoko Dukung Prabowo-Gibran . 2024-03-04 . FAJAR . id.
  24. "Akan tetapi, dalam Undang-Undang No.2 Tahun 2008 Tentang Partai Politik kembali dipertegas bahwa asas dan ciri partai politik merupakan penjabaran dari Pancasila dan UUD 1945." Translation: In Law No. 2 of 2008 on Political Parties, it is emphasized that the principles and characteristics of political parties derive from Pancasila and the 1945 Constitution.

  25. "So-called nationalist parties such as the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), Prabowo Subianto's political machine the Great Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra), Golkar Party, National Democratic Party (NasDem) and the Democratic Party are still the dominant forces in Indonesian politics."

  26. "The secular-nationalist Democratic Party was established in 2001..."

  27. "The national-liberal party Democrat of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is according to the most current counting of ballots with 20,2% of votes the strongest party of the parliamentary elections on April 9, 2009."

  28. "Hoping to appeal to the most Indonesians possible, the Democratic Party calls itself a moderate, centrist party."

  29. "Agus is backed by his father's centrist Democratic Party..."

  30. "Moreover, Indonesia has now three pivotal center parties — parties that are deeply rooted in the political center and against whose combined strength it would be difficult to govern. These are PDIP, Golkar, and Partai Demokrat (Democratic Party, PD)."

  31. "The Democratic Party is a moderate-right political party in Indonesia."

  32. "...and the Golkar and Democrat parties, which self-classify as “nationalist-religious,” implying they are friendly to the interests of Muslims. These three parties can be conceptualized as centre-right catch-all parties..."

  33. "...but rather was another catch-all political party similar to Golkar: ideologically conservative and religiously centrist."

  34. Web site: Ethics council dismisses Nazaruddin as treasurer . The Jakarta Post . 2011-05-23 . https://web.archive.org/web/20121010151734/http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2011/05/23/ethics-council-dismisses-nazaruddin-treasurer.html . 10 October 2012 . dmy.
  35. Web site: Parlina . Ina . 2011-05-25 . Mahfud officially reports Nazaruddin to KPK . subscription . The Jakarta Post.
  36. Web site: Former ruling party treasurer guilty of graft in Indonesia . Neil . Chatterjee . Reuters . 20 April 2012.
  37. Web site: April 21, 2012 – 0832: Indonesia KPK: Muhammad Nazaruddin convicted of bribery . ICAC . ICAC . 21 April 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120701092223/http://www.icacnews.com/2012/04/21/april-21-2012-0832-indonesia-kpk-muhammad-nazaruddin-convicted-of-bribery/ . 1 July 2012 . dmy . dead .
  38. Web site: Andi Mallarangeng: The road to resignation . The Jakarta Post. 8 December 2012 . subscription .
  39. Web site: Wardah . Fathiyah . 2014-07-18 . Andi Mallarangeng Divonis 4 Tahun Penjara . 2021-03-06 . VOA Indonesia . id.
  40. News: Rostiyani . Yeyen . Hartati Murdaya detained by KPK in graft case . 27 December 2018 . Republika . 13 September 2012.
  41. Web site: 27 September 2014 . Hastag #ShameOnYouSBY tembus lebih dari 250 ribu kicauan . The hashtag #ShameOnYouSBY has received more than 250 thousand tweets . 24 February 2024 . . id . Amin . Al . 29 September 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140929060944/https://www.merdeka.com/politik/hastag-shameonyousby-tembus-lebih-dari-250-ribu-kicauan.html . live.
  42. Web site: Sandro . Gatra . . 29 September 2014 . Sutan: SBY Perintahkan All Out, tetapi Pimpinan Fraksi Malah Suruh Walk Out . 24 February 2024 . . id . Sutan

    SBY Orders All Out, But Faction Leaders Instead Order to Walk Out

    . . live . 1 October 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20141001134954/https://nasional.kompas.com/read/2014/09/29/09104661/Sutan.SBY.Perintahkan.All.Out.tetapi.Pimpinan.Fraksi.Malah.Suruh.Walk.Out.
  43. Web site: Bab V - Hasil Pemilu - KPU. Komisi Pemilihan Umum Republik Indonesia. 1 August 2018. id. 17 April 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180417173042/http://kpu.go.id/dmdocuments/modul_1d.pdf. dead.
  44. Web site: KPU sahkan hasil pemilu, PDIP nomor satu. BBC. 10 May 2014. 1 August 2018. id.
  45. News: Zunita Putri . KPU Tetapkan Hasil Pileg 2019: PDIP Juara, Disusul Gerindra-Golkar . 31 May 2019 . Detik.com . 21 May 2019. id.
  46. Web site: Partai Demokrat Resmi Dukung Prabowo-Hatta. Fiansyah. Rahmat. 30 June 2014. 1 August 2018. Kompas.com. id.