In the world of Indonesian politics, full of twists and turns, we often witness scenarios more dramatic than soap operas. This tale is about backstabbing politics, where betrayal and deceit run rampant. Imagine this: the National Awakening Party (PKB) and the Nasdem Party, originally teamed up with the AMIN Coalition (Anies-Muhaimin), suddenly switch sides and join the Advancing Indonesia Coalition after Prabowo Subianto’s victory. If this isn’t a topsy-turvy world, then what is?
Picture this: PKB and Nasdem, once fierce opponents of Gerindra and the Prabowo-Gibran duo, swiftly change allegiance as soon as Prabowo wins. It’s like tofu suddenly turning into steak. These parties quickly jumped onto the winning coalition’s bandwagon. As a result, we see that in Indonesian politics, practical interests often take precedence over principles. Principles? What principles? Can they be eaten?
This backstabbing phenomenon also spills over into regional elections (Pilkada). Imagine, the gubernatorial candidate being supported actually comes from the Indonesian Solidarity Party (PSI), a party that failed to enter parliament because it didn’t meet the 4% threshold. PSI is like a competitor who lost in the preliminaries but is suddenly invited to the finals because they are the referee’s nephews. They managed to slip their candidate through various maneuvers that made us shake our heads. Here, we learn that politics isn’t always about the number of seats, but about the ability to play deftly behind the scenes.
Another exciting story is about two vice-presidential candidates for Gibran and a gubernatorial candidate for Kaesang. Initially, they didn’t meet the qualifications, but suddenly the rules were changed by the Constitutional Court (MK) and the Supreme Court (MA). Amazing! Rules can be altered to suit political needs. Laws that were once strict and rigid became as flexible as rubber bands. This invites controversy but also teaches us that in politics, anything is possible.
So, we could say that politics in Indonesia is like a theatrical stage. Sometimes we don’t know who’s the enemy and who’s the ally anymore. Those who were once foes can become friends, those who didn’t qualify can suddenly qualify, and those who failed can succeed. It’s a crazy political game, that’s what it is. This phenomenon shows just how absurd the political system in Indonesia can be, where loyalty and principles can be easily sold out for power.
While in other countries politics might be serious and full of integrity, here it feels like a comedy show. No wonder many people find it hard to trust the existing system. The hope is that one day, politics in Indonesia can change to be cleaner and more principled, so we don’t just have to laugh bitterly at the daily political drama. But for now, let’s enjoy the political soap opera that never fails to surprise and entertain us.
