he Golkar Party has officially declared its support for Social Affairs Minister Khofifah Indar Parawansa and Trenggalek Regent Emil Dardak in the 2018 East Java gubernatorial election.
Acting Golkar chairman Idrus Marham delivered a recommendation letter supporting Khofifah and Emil as governor and deputy governor candidates, respectively, at the party’s headquarters in Jakarta on Wednesday.
Idrus said representatives of Golkar had met with Muslim clerics from East Java on Tuesday to discuss the nomination of Khofifah and Emil in next year’s gubernatorial election.
“Insya Allah [God willing]. God will ensure that Mbak Khofifah and Mas Emil will be [elected as] the leaders of East Java,” Idrus said as quoted by kompas.com on Wednesday.
Golkar, the oldest political party in Indonesia, is the second party to endorse the Khofifah-Emil after the Democratic Party, which declared its support on Tuesday.
The two parties combined hold 24 seats on the East Java Legislative Council, in which Golkar has 11 seats and the Dems 13.
Khofifah has also won support from the United Development Party (PPP), the NasDem Party and the Hanura Party.
However, the three parties have yet to officially endorse Khofifah and Emil as a pair. Emil, the incumbent candidate, was supported by the ruling Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) during his bid for Trenggalek regent in 2015. (afr/ebf)
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