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Prabowo meets Yenny Wahid as PKB consolidates support for Anies
Presumptive presidential nominee Prabowo Subianto hosted Yenny Wahid, the daughter of the former leader of the country’s largest Muslim group Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), in what could be a search for his running mate after a party widely associated with the NU switched sides to a rival camp.
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Gerindra Party chairman Prabowo Subianto delivers a speech on Feb. 6, 2020, during the party's 12th anniversary at the Gerindra Central Executive Board (DPP) office in South Jakarta. (Antara/Sigid Kurniawan)
Presumptive presidential nominee Prabowo Subianto hosted Yenny Wahid, the daughter of the former leader of the country’s largest Muslim organization Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), in what could be a search for his running mate after a party widely associated with the NU switched sides to a rival camp.
After losing last week the National Awakening Party (PKB), Prabowo appeared to move fast to court another potential ally from the NU, hosting Yenny, the daughter of late president and NU chairman Abdurrahman “Gus Dur” Wahid, at his private residence in Kertanegara, South Jakarta, on Wednesday evening.
An Islamic organization representing many of the country’s mainstream Muslims, the NU has become a powerful political force with an estimated membership of 45 million. The organization – or its members – could be a swing factor in deciding who will be Indonesia’s next president.
Speaking to reporters after their meeting on Wednesday, Yenny sang her praises of Prabowo, describing him as a leader who has “an extraordinary vision” and putting him “at the top priority list” among potential candidates to forge closer ties with.
“Leaders who will guide Indonesia in the future must understand geopolitics, people who have strategic thinking. I think someone like Pak Prabowo has that kind of ability,” Yenny said. “So it is obligatory for me, as a representative of Gus Dur's group, to communicate intensively with [Prabowo] to listen to his policies while voicing our aspirations about what the future of the country should be.”
Earlier that day, when asked about Yenny’s chance of running alongside Prabowo, Prabowo’s brother and financier Hashim Djojohadikusumo called her an “extraordinary” figure and worthy of being on Prabowo’s shortlist of potential vice presidential candidates.
“I have known Mbak Yenny for a long time. And Mbak Yenny's husband used to be a Gerindra [member] and a lawmaker, we know each other very well, very close," Hashim said.
