Presumptive presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto is facing a dilemma over his choice of running mate, now that he is forced to choose between an Islamic party leader that could help him win a key battleground province or a trusted aide of President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, whose endorsement is seen as critical in the election.

While the momentum of his candidacy has gathered pace, with the latest polls placing him as the man to beat against his rivals Ganjar Pranowo and Anies Baswedan in the upcoming presidential race, Prabowo still needs to pull his weight and name a running mate that could help him widen his appeal outside its traditional base.

Tension has grown within the Great Indonesia Awakening Coalition (KKIR) over who should run alongside Prabowo, with one of the founding members of the two-way alliance, the National Awakening Party (PKB), threatening to reevaluate its support for Prabowo if its chairman Muhaimin Iskandar failed to get the vice presidential slot. 

‘Logistical strength’

The  PKB made the threat amid speculations that Prabowo was considering to pick State-owned Enterprises (SOEs) Minister Erick Thohir as his running mate. Erick, widely known as a close ally of President Jokowi, has been touted as the strongest candidate for the vice presidency in various opinion polls, as his popularity soared following his election as chairman of the Soccer Association of Indonesia (PSSI), a high-profile position in the soccer-crazed nation.  

The media tycoon has had a short time in Indonesian politics but came to prominence after gaining favor as a close ally of President Jokowi, who tasked Erick to organize the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta and later to lead his successful 2019 reelection campaign, a feat that earned him a lucrative Cabinet position.

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