TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
Gerindra mulls pairing KPK chief with party patron Prabowo
Basic politics: Homeless people from a shelter in Kedoya, West Jakarta, which is run by the Jakarta administration, take part in a votersâ education program held by the West Jakarta General Elections Commission (KPU) on Wednesday
Change Size
Basic politics: Homeless people from a shelter in Kedoya, West Jakarta, which is run by the Jakarta administration, take part in a votersâ education program held by the West Jakarta General Elections Commission (KPU) on Wednesday. (JP/Jerry Adiguna) (KPU) on Wednesday. (JP/Jerry Adiguna)
B
span class="inline inline-none">Basic politics: Homeless people from a shelter in Kedoya, West Jakarta, which is run by the Jakarta administration, take part in a voters' education program held by the West Jakarta General Elections Commission (KPU) on Wednesday. (JP/Jerry Adiguna)
The Gerindra Party says it is considering pairing current Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) chairman Abraham Samad with the party's chief patron Prabowo Subianto in a presidential ticket, in a move to shore up support for the party ahead of the April 9 general election.
Martin Hutabarat, a member of Gerindra's board of patrons, said Abraham was among a small number of people who could meet the criteria for being Prabowo's running mate. 'We want someone who is young, committed, and has a clean track record as Pak Prabowo's running mate. Pak Abraham is definitely one of them,' Martin told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday.
Abraham is high up on the list of politicians and public officials deemed qualified to be the running mate for Prabowo. Gerindra has previously considered, among others, Central Java Governor and Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) politician Ganjar Pranowo and West Java Governor and Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) politician Ahmad Heryawan as vice presidential candidates.
Internal surveys had found that Abraham was the most preferable candidate, Martin said. 'So far, we've found that most of our members would prefer Abraham as Pak Prabowo's running mate,' he said.
Head of Gerindra's advocacy division, Habiburokhman, said the nomination of Abraham would help Gerindra convince the public about its commitment to the anti-graft campaign. 'Gerindra has a long-term plan to empower the KPK and Abraham's nomination would definitely help us achieve that. Overall, people need a leader who not only says no to corruption but who has also fought against it,' he said.
Martin, however, said Gerindra could go it alone with a Prabowo-Abraham ticket only if it could secure enough votes in the legislative election. 'We would of course have to consider pairing Pak Prabowo with other [vice presidential] candidates if we needed to form a coalition [with other parties] ahead of the presidential election,' he said.
Law No. 42/2008 on the presidential election stipulates that only a political party or a coalition that garners 20 percent of legislative seats or 25 percent of the popular vote in the legislative election is eligible to contest the presidential election.
Prabowo, who until late last year was considered one of the strongest presidential contenders, has met formidable opposition in the form of Jakarta Governor Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo, who recently won the endorsement of PDI-P chairperson Megawati Soekarnoputri.
The Jokowi presidential nomination will also impact on Gerindra's performance in the April 9 legislative election, according to some pollsters.
A survey released in late January by the Jakarta-based Pol-Tracking Institute, for example, found that if the PDI-P announced Jokowi's candidacy before the legislative election, the party would receive 30.78 percent of the vote, well above Golkar in second place with 12.34 percent, Gerindra with 6.51 percent and the ruling Democratic Party at 4.67 percent.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Abraham indicated that he might join Prabowo's ticket. 'Just give me time to perform istikharah [the prayer to seek guidance],' he told reporters.
Abraham, however, quickly corrected himself. 'I have no intention [of becoming vice president]. It was like when I joined the KPK, I had no intention of becoming the KPK chairman. I don't have the look to be KPK chairman, a president, or a vice president,' he said.
A political observer from Banten's Sultan Ageng Tirtayasa University, Dahnil Anzar, called on Abraham to turn down any political proposal.
'If Abraham accepts the offer, it will set a bad precedent for the country's corruption eradication efforts,' he said.
Hasanuddin University political science professor Armin Arsyad concurred. 'If political parties are pleased with Abraham's work, support him by giving him another relevant post, such as the attorney general's position. If his outstanding performance continues, then they can consider him for higher office, like vice president,' he said.
