TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
PSI to continue backing Ganjar despite slide in polls
Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo suffered a drop in his electability rating after FIFA revoked Indonesia’s license to host the U-20 World Cup last month.
Change Size
Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo attends an event to commemorate the National Sports Day at Sriwedari Sports Stadium in Surakarta, Central Java, on September 9, 2022. (Central Java Administration /-)
The Indonesian Solidarity Party (PSI) has said it will continue to support Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo for the 2024 presidency despite a decline in his opinion polling figures following the FIFA U-20 World Cup fiasco.
Ganjar, who had been consistently topping opinion polls of likely presidential contenders before the controversy, suffered a drop in electability rating after FIFA revoked Indonesia’s license to host the youth soccer tournament last month.
"So far, the PSI is still supporting Ganjar," PSI spokesperson Cheryl Tanzil told The Jakarta Post on Thursday.
The party declared its support for Ganjar as a presidential candidate on Oct. 3, 2022, saying he was the most suitable person to carry on President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s legacy.
The Central Java governor, along with other prominent Indonesian figures, made unpopular remarks in opposition to the participation of the Israeli national team in the U-20 World Cup, ostensibly because of his commitment to the precedent that Sukarno, the nation’s first president, set in supporting the Palestinian cause.
This opposition led FIFA to rescind Indonesia’s right to host the tournament and grant hosting duties to Argentina instead.
Ganjar has been heavily criticized for his role in the country’s forfeiture of the tournament.
The governor broke rank with the Jokowi administration over the issue in a move that may have sought to appeal to conservative Muslim groups that were protesting Israel’s participation in the event as well.
A survey by Indikator Politik released on Wednesday found that Ganjar’s electability rating had fallen 7.1 percentage points to 27.9 percent from February to April.
He has now fallen behind two-time presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto, the current defense minister and chairman of the Gerindra Party.
Prabowo led Ganjar by 4.8 percentage points in the April poll, having gained 6 percentage points from February.
Read also: Ganjar yet to recover from backlash over U-20
Many supporters, however, including the PSI, still consider Ganjar the best bet for 2024.
His unpopular stance toward Israel is in line with his political party, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), which seeks broadly to adhere to Sukarno’s values and principles. Observers say his opposition to the Israel’s participation in the U-20 World Cup likely earned him cachet with Sukarno's daughter and party matriarch Megawati Soekarnoputri, who is set to announce the party’s presidential candidate in June.
Besides supporting Ganjar, the PSI plans to join a proposed grand electoral alliance of pro-Jokowi political parties, namely the National Mandate Party (PAN), Gerindra, the National Awakening Party (PKB), the Golkar Party and the United Development Party (PPP).
The idea was announced after representatives of the five parties and Jokowi met at the offices of PAN on April 2.
Read also: PDI-P to decide alliance partners after presidential candidate announcement
PSI chairman Giring Ganesha said the nascent alliance would announce a "breakthrough" after the Idul Fitri holiday.
"There will be a gathering of the grand coalition after Idul Fitri. Just wait, there will be a breakthrough," said Giring on Wednesday, as quoted by Kompas.com.
He added that the PSI would continue to follow Jokowi's direction regarding the 2024 election, including in its support of a presidential candidate.
