Yogyakarta – Dozens of supporters of presidential candidate tickets number 1, Anies Baswedan and Muhaimin Iskandar, and ticket number 3, Ganjar Pranowo and Mahfud MD, descended on the Regional House of Representatives (DPRD) in the Central Java city of Yogyakarta on Tuesday March 5.
The protesters were calling for the national House of Representatives (DPR) to initiate a right of inquiry to investigate alleged fraud of the 2024 elections.
The demonstrators, calling themselves the United Yogya People's Alliance and the People's Sovereignty Enforcement Movement (GPKR), also held a theatrical action in which they sawed a chair symbolising those in power.
The dozens of people arrived at the DPRD carrying a large banners reading "Was social aid (bansos) used to ensure victory of a particular candidate pair? A right of inquiry is the answer".
Other banners read "Is rice so expensive because social aid was used to ensure the victory of a certain candidate pair? A right of inquiry is the answer" and "Was the state budge used to ensure victory for a certain candidate pair? A right of inquiry is the answer".
Afterwards, the demonstrators were allowed to enter the DPRD building to hold an audience with lawmakers to convey their demand for a right of inquiry and for the impeachment of President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo in order restore a government that is free of dirty political practices.
Then, they shifted to the signing of a right of inquiry petition. The speaker of the Yogyakarta DPRD from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) faction, Nuryadi, took part in signing the petition together with representatives from United Development Party (PPP) and the National Democrat Party (NasDem).
The PDI-P, PPP and NasDem supported the Ganjar-Mahfud ticket in the 2024 presidential elections.
This was then followed by a theatrical action in which they amputated the chair of a Javanese prince as a symbol of those in power. The protesters took turns in sawing the chair joined by Nuryadi and Heri Dwi Haryono, a DPRD member the NasDem faction, until one of the legs of the chair broke off.
"This symbolises us cutting the power that has been very terrible, very broken hearted. Jokowi no longer reflects the president of the people", said Stevie S. Wibowo from the United Yogya People's Alliance.
Wibowo claimed that the action was joined by civil society activists as well as supporters of presidential candidate pairs 1 and 3.
Meanwhile Nuryadi emphasised that their decision the sign the right of inquiry petition along with representatives from the PPP and NasDem factions did not represent the Yogyakarta DPRD as an institution.
"I am not representing the council as an institution, but as the leader of a faction. I do not want to infringe on friends who do not support a right of inquiry, but in fact in the council there are 55 people, there are some that support the right of inquiry, including me and Nasdem", said Nuryadi.
Nuryadi confirmed that he would take the petition and the protesters' aspirations to the DPR in order to encourage them to initiate a right of inquiry.
"It must be delivered. Earlier as a symbol of how the chair as symbol of the rulers was sawed up, it wasn't easy. But after we are together, the people are united, it will get through", he said. (kum/DAL)
[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was "Massa Protes Pemilu Gergaji Kursi, Ketua DPRD DIY Teken Petisi Angket".]
