PDIP‘s Hasto Kristiyanto Reportedly Pressured to Resign Amidst Jokowi‘s Party Expulsion
In a series of events that have rocked the world of Indonesian politics, Sekretaris Jenderal of the Partai Demokrasi Indonesia Perjuangan (PDIP), Hasto Kristiyanto, is reported to have been asked to resign by what’s being called a "kurir cokelat" (brown messenger), shortly before being named a suspect by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK). This request allegedly came a few days after PDIP officially revoked the membership of Joko Widodo (Jokowi) and his family from the party.
Tempo magazine reported in an article, "Bukti Apa yang Dipegang Hasto Kristiyanto Membongkar Korupsi Jokowi," that following Jokowi’s removal from the party in early December 2024, there were several disturbances in PDIP’s internal affairs, including those faced by Hasto.
On the evening of December 13, 2024, Hasto was allegedly contacted by a high-ranking police official, or "kurir cokelat," who delivered three messages from Jokowi. Firstly, the police official asked PDIP to not expel Jokowi and his family from the party, given that Hasto had previously announced that the party would revoke the membership of 27 party members, including Jokowi and his family, at the instruction of PDIP Chairperson Megawati Soekarnoputri.
Secondly, Hasto was asked to step down from his position as Sekretaris Jenderal within 24 hours. Insiders close to Jokowi have reportedly stated that Jokowi was displeased with Hasto due to his frequent attacks against Jokowi and his family. Lastly, the police official delivered a message that Hasto should not bring up personal matters involving Jokowi’s family.
Ronny Talapessy, PDIP’s Chairperson for the Reform of the National Legal System, confirmed the contents of the messages from Jokowi’s representative. "Hasto was asked to resign from his position, provided that the decision to expel Jokowi and his family members is revoked," Talapessy told Tempo in Jakarta on December 31, 2024.
When asked about rumors of a high-ranking Police official visiting Hasto before he was named a suspect, Indonesian Police Chief General Listyo Sigit Prabowo declined to comment extensively. "You can ask them directly. They are friends and close colleagues of mine," Prabowo said via WhatsApp on January 3, 2025.
Meanwhile, Jokowi denied sending a representative to request PDIP to cancel his expulsion. He also rejected accusations that he was behind Hasto’s designation as a suspect. "Where have I interfered with such matters?" Jokowi said at his residence in Solo, Jawa Tengah, on January 3, 2025.
The warnings from the high-ranking police official seemed to coincide with an important message: Hasto would soon face Follow-up action in his corruption case at the KPK. Subsequently, two days after receiving these messages, Hasto recorded five videos in a hotel room in Denpasar on December 15, 2024, using a cell phone belonging to PDIP’s Wakil Sekretaris Jenderal, Yoseph Aryo Adhi Dharmo. In one of these videos, Hasto claimed to have received legal threats. He also exposed Jokowi’s actions over the past 10 years in power, such as ordering a top official to designate former Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan as a suspect in the Formula E case in 2022.
Eight days after the announcement of Jokowi’s expulsion, or on December 24, 2024, the KPK named Hasto a suspect in the bribery case involving Harun Masiku and former member of the General Elections Commission, Wahyu Setiawan, in January 2020. Hasto is believed to have been involved in the bribery.
Defiant, Hasto refuted allegations that the videos were an attack on Jokowi. "These videos are to show what happened over the past few years so we could learn from them," Hasto told Tempo in Menteng, Jakarta Pusat, on January 2, 2025.
This article was contributed to by Francisca Christy Rosana, Hussein Abri Dongoran, Egi Adyatama, and Septia Ryanthie (Solo).