Old Generals Flex Their Muscles: Retired Armed Forces Officers Support PDI-P Candidate Ganjar Pranowo

By Raymundus Rikang for Tempo.co, September 24, 2023

Early on Sunday, June 25, at six in the morning, the residence of the former Indonesian Air Force Chief of Staff, Air Marshall (Retd.) Agus Supriatna, in the Depok city suburb of Raffles Hills in West Java province, was buzzing with guests. Hundreds of campaign volunteer supporters of the presidential candidate endorsed by the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), and Governor of Central Java province, Mr. Ganjar Pranowo, gathered at the retired Indonesian Armed Forces officer’s house. That morning, Ganjar met with hundreds of his supporters at Agus’s residence.

For over half an hour, Agus, Ganjar, and hundreds of volunteers engaged in discussions. Agus related that several attendees raised questions to Ganjar regarding the programs he would implement if elected president. “Mr. Ganjar mentioned that President Joko Widodo’s programs were good, but needed to be accelerated,” said Agus, talking to Tempo Magazine at his home on Wednesday, September 20.

Agus is one of hundreds of retired Indonesian Armed Forces and police officers supporting Ganjar, uniting under the Ganjar Punya Rakyat (Gapura) Nusantara (Ganjar is the Property of the People) campaign volunteer organization. Graduating from the Air Force Academy in 1983, Agus serves as a mentor in the campaign volunteer group. During the 2019 general elections, Agus rallied retired Air Force personnel to support the Joko Widodo-Ma’ruf Amin election ticket.

According to Agus, after rumors circulated about his involvement with Gapura Nusantara, various pro-Ganjar groups around the Cibubur district flocked to his house, expressing their desire to join as campaign volunteers for the former Central Java Governor. “Our duty is to introduce Mr. Ganjar to our communities and colleagues,” he said.

Another retired officer supporting Gapura Nusantara is Vice Admiral (Retd.) Bernard Kent Sondakh. Within Gapura Nusantara, the former Indonesian Navy Chief of Staff from 2002 to 2005 holds the position of board chairman. Like Agus, Kent supported President Joko Widodo during the 2019 presidential election. He established the campaign volunteer group Jala Nusantara (Nusantara Network), comprising retired Navy personnel.

Kent disclosed that several retired officers started considering Ganjar Pranowo as a presidential candidate in 2021. PDI-P only officially endorsed Ganjar as its presidential candidate at Istana Batutulis, Bogor, in West Java, on April 21.

Earlier this year, Kent communicated with PDI-P’s general secretary Hasto Kristiyanto to inform him about the plan to endorse Ganjar. At the time, Kent observed that a number of communities of retired generals had maneuvered toward the coalitions of Lt. Gen. (Retd.) Prabowo Subianto or Anies Baswedan. “I couldn’t put it off any longer in order to maintain solidarity,” he said.

After the estabishment of Gapura Nusantara, the retired officers immediately campaigned for Ganjar. Gapura Nusantara also organized training for campaign volunteers in various cities. In addition to promoting Ganjar’s performance and track record, participants were instructed in recruiting their colleagues to establish networks, similar to a multi-level marketing model.

For Kent, retired Armed Forces officers have an electoral impact on presidential candidates. After their service, retired generals engage in various social organizations and lead companies. As a result, these former officers do influence voters.

For instance, Kent serves as a commissioner in a company with tens of thousands of employees. He is also active as a mentor in the All Indonesian Fishermen Association, which claims to have millions of members. “We still have some bite,” Kent asserted.

Mr. Agus Setiadji, the chair of Gapura Nusantara, stated that the primary task of the campaign volunteer group is to introduce Ganjar to remote areas, particularly outside of Central Java province. He mentioned that the PDI-P politician isn’t sufficiently well-known in regional East Java province, including in Probolinggo City, and the districts of Probolinggo, Situbondo, and Bondowoso.

Agus Setiadji’s attention was captured by the Saiful Mujani Research and Consulting poll into Ganjar’s popularity. Throughout seven surveys conducted this year, Ganjar’s popularity has consistently lagged behind Prabowo Subianto and Anies Baswedan. In the August survey, 84% of respondents recognized Ganjar, while Prabowo’s popularity rating stood at 95% and Anies at 86%.

Among Islamic voters, Ganjar also trails his two competitors. The Circle of Survey Indonesia Denny J.A. recorded Ganjar’s popularity among voters with a background in the Islam community organization The Scholars Association (Nahdlatul Ulama or NU) at only 85.9%. In contrast, Prabowo scored 98%, and Anies at 87.4%. “Ganjar needs more grassroots exposure,” remarked Agus.

The former Secretary-General of the Ministry of Defense mentioned that campaign volunteers from Gapura Nusantara have visited residents’ homes to introduce Ganjar. Its executives have also organized markets, and provided access to clean water. These programs have already begun in Bogor District in West Java province.

Retired officers in Gapura Nusantara harbor aspirations regarding Ganjar’s criteria for a vice presidential candidate. This idea was conveyed by Agus Setiadji and colleagues to Ganjar. “The candidate must firmly uphold the four pillars of the nation,” said the retired vice admiral. These four pillars are Pancasila, the 1945 Constitution, the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia, and the national motto Unity In Diversity (Bhinneka Tunggal Ika).

According to Agus, individuals who understand the four pillars of the nation come not only from military backgrounds, but also from civilian sectors. He assured that several candidates discussed by the PDI-P still have an equal chances of being selected, including candidates with military backgrounds. “All have competence,” he asserted.

The list of Ganjar’s possible vice presidential candidates was disclosed by the PDI-P’s economic affairs spokesperson, Mr. Said Abdullah. He referred to seven candidates currently being screened. Among them is the Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs, Prof. Mahfud Md. On Sunday, September 10, Ganjar met with Mahfud.

The only vice presidential candidate from the retired officer ranks supporting Ganjar is Mr. Andika Perkasa. Andika, who is also the son-in-law of former Chief of the National Intelligence Agency, A.M. Hendropriyono, served as the Indonesian Armed Forces Commander from 2021 to 2022. “His name is in the pocket of PDI-P chairwoman Ms. Megawati,” said the chairman of the House Budget Committee.

Andika has appeared in a number of surveys as a vice presidential candidate. His electability was only 2.8% in the May survey conducted by the Indonesian Political Indicator. Andika’s level of electability was also a mere 2% in the poll conducted by the Indonesian Survey Institute at the end of August.

A retired officer in Gapura Nusantara revealed having a discussion with Andika about his chances of becoming running mate for Ganjar. Andika expressed readiness to undertake any task assigned by Ganjar to face the 2024 presidential election. Subsequently, Andika was appointed the Deputy Chairman of Ganjar Pranowo’s national election campaign team.

When contacted on Tuesday, September 19, Andika mentioned a busy schedule until mid-October. However, he has previously said he didn’t set a target to become the vice presidential candidate in response to news about their being a list of seven potential candidates to run with Ganjar.

Andika Perkasa mentioned that he wants to begin his career as a retired Armed Forces officer. He acknowledged having communicated with PDI-P, however denied discussing Ganjar Pranowo’s vice presidential candidate. “If Mr. Said says I have a chance, thank you very much,” he concluded.

This article is based on https://majalah.tempo.co/read/laporan-utama/169781/purnawirawan-tni-ganjar-pranowo.