Speculation about a potential pairing between the Central Java governor and the Gerindra Party leader, who have topped election surveys by credible pollsters, was rife following a meeting between the two potential contenders with President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo in Kebumen, Central Java, last week.

President Jokowi, who has been actively seeking to influence the hunt his successor, is believed to have supported the pairing of the two popular figures, with the meeting in Kebumen seen as his way of testing the waters.

However, the final decision over a ticket of Ganjar and Prabowo rests in hands of Prabowo, as Gerindra’s leader, and Megawati Soekarnoputri, leader of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), of which Ganjar is a member.

Hard negotiations

Gerindra and the PDI-P are at loggerheads over who should run for president, with each party insisting that the presidential nominee should come from their ranks.

Gerindra deputy chief patron Hashim Djojohadikusumo, who is also the younger brother of Prabowo, said on Sunday that given Prabowo's seniority, age and experience, it was only natural for him to be at the top of the ticket.