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View all search resultsMuhaimin's creativity seen as key to party's good showing
The head of the National Awakening Party (PKB) central executive board, Marwan Jafar, said the partyâs vote gain in the 2014 legislative election, which was quite high in several pollstersâ quick counts, was due to the creativity of Muhaimin Iskandar, the PKB chairman
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T
he head of the National Awakening Party (PKB) central executive board, Marwan Jafar, said the party's vote gain in the 2014 legislative election, which was quite high in several pollsters' quick counts, was due to the creativity of Muhaimin Iskandar, the PKB chairman.
He said Muhaiman had been successful in carrying out internal reconciliation and consolidation.
'We have been successful thanks to the creativity of the PKB chairman in reviving and stimulating enthusiasm for the party,' said Marwan on Thursday as quoted by kompas.com.
He further said that Muhaimin, or Cak Imin as he is better known, reconciled and encouraged loyal voters among 'nahdliyin' (faithful members of Nahdlatul Ulama) to vote for the PKB. At the same time, he added, the PKB had been relentless in targeting first-time voters for their support.
Marwan also acknowledged that declaring three figures as would-be-presidential candidates representing the PKB had a significant impact. They were former vice president Jusuf Kalla, former Constitutional Court chief justice Mahfud MD and dangdut singer Rhoma Irama.
Muhaiman also recruited Lion Group president Rusdi Kirana as PKB deputy chairman. Such a move was considered effective because it made the party more dynamic in the political arena.
However, Marwan said, the party's vote gain had not helped the party reach its target. He said based on the quick counts, the PKB ranked fourth or fifth while it had targeted to be among the three top.
'There will be an evaluation. Anyway, we are proud of all PKB members and supporters and express our respect for them,' said Marwan, who is also head of PKB faction at the House of Representatives.
Based on Kompas' quick count of more than 93 percent of overall ballots, the PKB secured 9.13 percent in this year's election, far higher than the 4.9 percent it gained in the 2009 election. (put/ebf)
