Teten expects support from Gerindra

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Antigraft activist Teten Masduki says he expects a formal endorsement from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) to run as a candidate in the West Java gubernatorial election.

According to Teten, he would have no problem in receiving an endorsement from the Greater Indonesia Movement (Gerindra) Party.

“I would first deal with the PDI-P and Rieke but I won’t shut the door on Gerindra,” Teten said as quoted by Antara news agency on Sunday, referring to PDI-P lawmaker Rieke Diah Pitaloka, who has also expressed an interest in the province’s top job.

Teten also said that he would be ready to be nominated as deputy govenor or governor by the PDI-P in the race, slated for early 2013.

The activist said he would rethink his decision to join the race only if the PDI-P declined to support his bid and only nominated candidates from within the party.

“I will rethink my decision on whether to run in the race. It is also possible for me to jump onto Gerindra’s [bandwagon],” he said.

Gerindra also previously expressed interest in nominating Teten as the governor of West Java, which with a population of 43 million people is the nation’s largest province.

The party’s secretary-general, Ahmad Muzani, earlier said that Gerindra wanted to build a coalition to nominate Teten, as it lacked the requisite seats in the West Java Legislative Council to nominate a candidate outright.

Teten, currently the secretary-general of Transparency International Indonesia (TII), has come out on top in opinion surveys conducted in West Java by the PDI-P.

Other figures that fared well in the PDI-P’s surveys were Rieke, an actress-turned-lawmaker, and the National Police deputy chief Comr. Gen. Nanan Sukarna.

Rieke, who sits on the House Commission IX overseeing demographic affairs, health, manpower and transmigration, has asked Teten to serve as her running mate.

If nominated by the PDI-P, Teten is expected to face incumbent Governor Ahmad Heryawan, who will likely be nominated for the race by the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS). Incumbent Deputy Governor Dede Yusuf has also expressed an interest in running for the province’s top job, with support from the Democratic Party. In his bid for the deputy governor position, Dede was nominated by the National Mandate Party (PAN).

On Sunday, dozens of activists gathered at the historic Indonesia’s On Trial building in Central Jakarta to endorse the candidacy of Teten, coinciding with Youth Pledge Day commemoration.