“We agreed, in the previous meeting of the four parties, that [we will] unanimously support Khofifah,” National Mandate Party (PAN) chair Zulkifli Hasan said on Monday, as quoted by Tribunnews.com.

Zulkifli was referring to the Gerindra Party, the de-facto leader of the Onward Indonesia Coalition (KIM), which supported the bid of Gerindra chairman Prabowo in February's presidential election, and alliance members PAN, the Golkar Party and the Democratic Party.

PAN, Golkar and the Democrats have formally declared their support for Khofifah and Emil for the upcoming East Java race, leaving Gerindra as the only major party in the alliance that has yet to officially endorse the pair.

Gerindra politician Sufmi Dasco Ahmad claimed his party’s endorsement for Khofifah and Emil’s reelection bid was only a matter of time, saying that the party would soon issue a letter of endorsement for the pair.

Read also: Golkar to back Khofifah's reelection bid for East Java governor

The prevailing law requires a political party or coalition of parties to hold at least 20 percent of the seats in the relevant regional legislative council (DPRD) to register a candidate for regional office with the General Elections Commission (KPU).

Gerindra, PAN, Golkar and the Democrats collectively secured 25.83 percent of the total 120 seats, or 31 seats, in East Java in the legislative election in February, enough to field a candidate pair for the upcoming gubernatorial race.

But nothing is actually set until political party-backed candidates register with the KPU starting from Aug. 27, before the agency will announce the final names on the ballots on Sept. 22.

The Khofifah-Emil pair has also received support from smaller parties, such as the Indonesian Solidarity Party (PSI), another member of KIM that secured one seat in the East Java legislative council, and Perindo, a nationalist party that supported unsuccessful presidential candidate Ganjar Pranowo.

East Java is widely seen as the traditional base of the country’s largest Muslim group Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), and observers believe that figures affiliated with the group are likely to have a better chance at winning the regional head elections in the province. But the province has also seen NU-affiliated candidates battle it out in its past gubernatorial elections.

Read also: PKB, PPP hope to upset Khofifah’s East Java reelection bid

Khofifah is an NU figure who temporarily stepped down from her role as the head of Muslimat NU, the women's wing of the NU, when she campaigned for Prabowo and his running mate Gibran Rakabuming Raka earlier this year.

Khofifah could face prominent Muslim cleric Marzuki Mustamar, a former head of NU’s East Java chapter, who is set to run with a nomination from the National Awakening Party (PKB), a Muslim-based party that has historic connections with NU.

Khofifah and Emil served one term as East Java governor and deputy governor respectively from 2017 to February of this year, just a day before the 2024 general election on Feb. 14. They are eligible for reelection in November.

East Java is currently led by acting governor Adhy Karyono. (yer)