Gerindra “rational” about Prabowo’s nomination

The Great Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra) is focusing on gaining more support rather than prematurely campaigning for party patron Prabowo Subianto as its presidential hopeful, despite Prabowo’s growing popularity, a politician says.

“The party is facing a dilemma. While Pak Prabowo’s popularity is high, public support for the party has been considered relatively low,” Desmond Junaidi Mahesa, House of Representatives legal commission lawmaker from Gerindra, told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday.

He said the party would focus its efforts on reaching 20 percent of the population, the minimum percentage a party must secure to nominate their a presidential candidate for the upcoming 2014 general elections.

“But we want to be rational as well. Should the party fail to achieve the 20 percent target, then we must be ready to name Pak Prabowo a vice presidential candidate,” he said.

Gerindra, established in 2008, has 30 out of the 560 House seats, or 5.36 percent of the national vote.