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PDI-P, potential partners look to grassroots Ganjar supporters
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Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle chair Megawati Soekarnoputri (left) puts a cap on Central Java governor Ganjar Pranowo in Bogor, West Java, on April 21, after he was selected as the party’s presidential candidate for 2024. ( AFP/Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P))
The ruling Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) is seeking to consolidate grassroots support for its presidential nominee, Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo, to help him reclaim his polling lead for next year's election after some of President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's loyal supporter groups threw their support behind Ganjar's likely opponent Prabowo Subianto.
The PDI-P, along with its two potential partners, the United Development Party (PPP) and Hanura Party, inaugurated a volunteer group headquarters for Ganjar’s presidential bid in Jakarta on Thursday. The parties said they were now ready to work with grassroots supporters to help the Central Java governor win the election in February 2024.
“We, the political parties supporting Ganjar, will work together with organizations of campaign volunteers under the principle of mutual respect for each party,” said Ahmad Basarah, a PDI-P politician who now leads a team to coordinate with grassroots supporters and campaign volunteers.
“This joint secretariat will be utilized by political parties nominating Ganjar and his running mate to build gotong royong [mutual cooperation] between political parties and volunteer organizations,” Basarah added.
The PPP threw its support behind Ganjar and the PDI-P in late April despite still being a member of the Golkar Party-led United Indonesia Coalition. Hanura, meanwhile, announced its commitment to back Ganjar's presidential bid only days after his PDI-P nomination in April.
Read also: KIB should be dissolved if parties fail to agree on backing Ganjar, PPP says
Some 1,300 groups of grassroots supporters and volunteers have registered with the joint secretariat as Ganjar supporter groups, 795 of which have been verified, according to Basarah. The number, however, excludes hundreds of Jokowi’s supporter groups – either those that have or have not pledged their support for Ganjar.
