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View all search resultsPrabowo invokes PDI-P’s Marhaenism ideology to court support for new mineral exchange
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President Prabowo Subianto (center) and House of Representatives speaker Puan Maharani (left) wave, as they arrive on Aug. 14 at the Senayan Legislative Complex, ahead of the country's 81st Independence Day anniversary, in Central Jakarta. (Reuters/Stringer)
P
resident Prabowo Subianto has invoked the economic philosophy of Marhaenism, associated with the quasi-opposition Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), as he seeks broad political support for his new plan to establish a mineral exchange.
He made the remarks during his state budget speech at the House of Representatives’ plenary session on Friday, when he announced his government’s plan to establish its own exchange for minerals and strategic commodities by January next year. He said it was unacceptable for the prices of resources produced by Indonesians to be determined overseas.
The President also called on the House, which is now dominated by political parties supporting his administration, to quickly discuss and pass legislation governing the operation of the new exchange.
“Actually, this is not ‘Prabowonomics’, this is Marhaenism,” Prabowo said, drawing laughter from lawmakers before adding, “PDI-P would find it difficult not to support this.”
Marhaenism is a political philosophy developed by the country’s first president Sukarno and forms an important part of the ideological foundation of the PDI-P, which is now led by Sukarno’s daughter Megawati Soekarnoputri. It promotes national unity, culture and collectivist economics as an alternative to liberalism.
Read also: Govt to establish new domestic mineral exchange
PDI-P, the largest party in the House with 110 out of 580 seats, is the only party outside Prabowo’s big ruling coalition. It has avoided calling itself an opposition party, declaring itself instead as the balancing force that will support government programs that benefit the people while criticizing policies it believes depart from the Constitution.
