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As VP pick, Khofifah has ‘sway’ over NU, East Java voters
Experts suggest East Java Governor Khofifah Indar Parawansa could become a solid contender for the 2024 vice presidential position due to her governing experience and strong ties to the Nadhlatul Ulama.
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East Java Governor Khofifah Indar Parawansa (left) speaks to residents who were affected by pyroclastic flows of the Semeru volcanic eruption at Penanggal village hall in Lumajang, East Java, on Dec. 5. (Antara/Seno)
A
rmed with experience leading the second-most populous region in the country and strong grassroots support owing to her longtime leadership of the Muslimat Nahdlatul Ulama women’s group, East Java Governor Khofifah Indar Parawansa possesses all the necessary qualities of a potential running mate in the 2024 elections, analysts say.
As head of the Surabaya chapter of the Indonesian Muslim Students Movement (PMII) in her youth, Khofifah’s political career stretches back to the New Order era as a member of the House of Representatives in 1992 with the National Development Party (PPP), and with the National Awakening Party (PKB) during the post-1998 Reform era.
Aside from serving as a House lawmaker, she also has years of experience in government, first as women’s empowerment minister during the short-lived presidency of the late Abdurrahman “Gus Dur” Wahid in 1999-2001, and more recently as social affairs minister during President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s first term in 2014-2018.
Khofifah eventually resigned from her ministry position in order to run in the 2019 East Java gubernatorial elections, which she eventually won. As one of the few women whose name regularly appear in presidential surveys and discussions, political analyst Bawono Kumoro of Indikator Politik sees Khofifah as a vice presidential candidate worthy of consideration.
“Since Jokowi’s rise in 2014, we’re seeing a trend where successful regional heads are dominating presidential discussions, which Khofifah is also benefiting from,” said Bawono. “Aside from being a female representative, Khofifa also has cultural ties to the [NU] that cannot be overlooked.”
Since 2000, Khofifah has served as chairwoman of Muslimat NU, the women’s wing of the largest Islamic organization in Indonesia, Nahdlatul Ulama (NU). All the above qualities, plus her experience leading the second most populous region in the country, certainly makes her an attractive candidate for the vice presidential seat.
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