The ruling Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) is said to be seeking to pair President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo with one of its own picks in his reelection bid, in common with other parties that have officially endorsed Jokowi in the 2019 presidential race.

However, the leadership of the government coalition has softened the party’s stance knowing that electability is crucial in securing votes and that imposing its demand might risk upsetting other parties backing Jokowi’s reelection.

“We can propose one of our members [as Jokowi’s running mate]. However, [we must be flexible] if a situation in the future requires us to reach out to [another party’s] member,” said senior PDI-P member Puan Maharani, the daughter of chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri, on Sunday.

The PDI-P had thoroughly discussed recruiting an outsider to become Jokowi’s running mate with Megawati, Puan said, citing high electability as among the key criteria that the party sought from any potential candidate.

Other requirements include a shared ideology and vision with the PDI-P, as well as the ability to work together with Jokowi.

According to Puan the ruling party has pocketed “more than one candidate name” to become Jokowi’s running mate, including Vice President Jusuf Kalla, who has served as vice president in two governments, for both Jokowi and his predecessor Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

The Constitution bans a president or vice president from serving more than two terms. But some analysts have said the provision could be interpreted differently, as Kalla, a former Golkar party chairman, did not serve the two terms consecutively.

Even Puan signaled that it might merely be a minor issue, saying that the implementation of any legislation, even the Constitution, must not be too rigid, and therefore the party was currently studying Kalla’s eligibility in the coming race.

Deputy secretary-general Ahmad Basarah, meanwhile, said the PDI-P would ask the Constitutional Court to issue a kind of official interpretation.

Puan has been touted as a potential running mate although no PDI-P politician, including Puan herself, was willing to openly talk about the matter. Another name some sources within the party cited as a potential candidate is Megawati’s close ally Gen. Budi Gunawan, who currently leads the state’s spy agency.

Speculation is rife that the PDI-P has also included the oldest son of Yudhyono, Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono, in its assessment after PDI-P secretary-general Hasto Kristiyanto recently revealed that Megawati had appointed her son Prananda Prabowo as well as Hasto to reach out to Agus.

“Megawati has assigned Prananda and me to [build] a dialogue [with Agus]. We will find the right time to meet,” Hasto said on the sidelines of the PDI-P’s three-day meeting, which ended on Sunday in Denpasar, Bali.

The PDI-P is set to make its final decision on the matter during a leadership meeting to take place in early August, the month when the deadline has been set for a party, or coalition of parties, to register presidential and vice presidential nominations with the General Elections Commission (KPU).

Other parties that have preceded the PDI-P in announcing their support for Jokowi’s reelection bid — Golkar, the United Development Party (PPP), the Hanura Party and the NasDem Party — have also voiced their intention of endorsing their own picks to run with Jokowi.

Although the decision is yet to be final, Golkar has suggested proposing its party chairman and Industry Minister Airlangga Hartarto as Jokowi’s running mate.

Some PPP politicians have said the party sought to propose party chairman M. Romahurmuziy; while Hanura has suggested its senior politician Wiranto, currently serving as coordinating political, legal and security affairs minister.

Whoever Jokowi eventually picks to be his running mate, analyst Muhammad Qodari from Indo Barometer said, Jokowi must choose a running mate that “can reach out to majority groups”.

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