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PAN chairman hints at throwing support behind Ganjar-Erick pairing
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(From left) National Mandate Party (PAN) chair Zulkifli Hasan, Golkar Party chair Airlangga Hartarto and United Development Party (PPP) chair Suharso Monoarfa link their arms together after registering their parties’ joint participation in the 2024 elections with the General Elections Commission (KPU) in Jakarta on Aug. 10, 2022. (Antara/Aprillio Akbar)
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n his opening remarks during the party’s national coordination meeting held in Semarang, Central Java, on Sunday, National Mandate Party (PAN) chairman Zulkifili Hasan hinted at nominating the Ganjar Pranowo and Erick Thohir pairing, who were in the audience, for the 2024 presidential election.
“If Pak Ganjar and Pak Erick work together, Insya Allah [God willing], Indonesia will continue to prosper. But these are just the thoughts of the war general, the final decision rests on the supreme commander,” said Zulkifli, referring to President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, who was also in attendance.
During his speech, the trade minister reiterated that PAN, together with coalition partner the Golkar Party and the United Development Party (PPP), have formed the United Indonesia Coalition (KIB) with the purpose of continuity, advancing the ideas of Jokowi after the two-term president leaves office in 2024. The KIB has yet to name a candidate pair.
Despite the decision of a Jokowi supporter group, Jokowi Mania (JoMan), to support the presidential bid of Jokowi’s erstwhile rival-turned-ally Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto of the Gerindra Party on Feb. 15, many still perceive Ganjar as Jokowi’s successor.
A Saiful Mujani Research and Consulting (SMRC) survey released on Jan. 12 showed that out of all Jokowi voters in 2019, 44 percent have shifted their support for his fellow Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) and popular Central Java Governor Ganjar. Some 22 percent of respondents supported Prabowo while 20 percent would vote for opposition figure Anies Baswedan.
Read also: Jokowi may prefer Ganjar, but will his supporters follow suit?
Several of PAN’s regional branches have openly declared their support for Ganjar, and as the governor took the stage on Sunday, chants of “president” were heard among the crowd. In his remarks, Ganjar made clear his support for the development of the new capital city of Nusantara in East Kalimantan, one of President Jokowi’s most ambitious projects.
