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Democrats throw support behind Prabowo
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Democratic Party chairman Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono (center) arrives at the party headquarters in Menteng, Central Jakarta ahead of a press briefing on August 11, 2023. (Antara/Sigid Kurniawan)
The chances of the creation of an alternative electoral alliance backing a fourth pair of presidential and vice-presidential candidates for the 2024 election disappeared on Sunday after the Democratic Party officially announced that it was joining the pro-Prabowo Subianto alliance in a press briefing at Prabowo’s residence in Hambalang, West Java.
The NasDem Party’s decision to pair former Jakarta governor Anies Baswedan with National Awakening Party (PKB) chairman Muhaimin Iskandar without consulting the other two members of the Coalition of Change for Unity (KPP), the Democratic Party and the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), had left the initial formation of that alliance in disarray.
With NasDem and the PKB having enough legislative seats to field Anies in the presidential race in February, speculation was initially rife that the Democratic Party and the PKS would leave the KPP to form an alternative alliance with another pro-government party. The two parties, however, are now set to stick with existing electoral alliances.
The Democratic Party, which had expected its leader Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono to fill the KPP vice-presidential spot, has now officially joined the pro-Prabowo bloc led by the Gerindra Party, known as the Advanced Indonesia Coalition (KIM). The PKS, meanwhile, had earlier decided to stick with its support for Anies.
“Today’s event was to accept the official endorsement by the Democratic Party of Pak Prabowo as a presidential candidate in 2024,” said Viva Yoga Mauladi of the National Mandate Party (PAN), a KIM member, as quoted by CNN Indonesia.
The upcoming election will, therefore, be a three-horse race, though it is not impossible that the current configuration would change ahead of the presidential election registration by the end of November.
Read also: Agus says time ‘to move on quickly’ after Anies picks Muhaimin for VP
