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Nomination threshold removal puts loyalty of ruling coalition to test
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A General Elections Commission (KPU) official checks a presidential election ballot at a logistics warehouse at Cempaka Putih Sports Hall in Central Jakarta on Feb. 5, 2024. (Antara/Erlangga Bregas Prakoso)
T
he loyalty and allegiance of the Onward Indonesia Coalition (KIM) to President Prabowo Subianto are being put to the test following a recent court decision revoking the presidential nomination threshold, which offers every political party a chance to field a challenger in the 2029 election.
In a surprising ruling last week, the Constitutional Court removed the steep threshold for nominating presidential candidates that was based on shares of House of Representatives seats or the popular vote a political party or a coalition of parties won in the previous legislative election.
This creates a level playing field for every political party that analysts say will test how far the ruling KIM coalition will remain united behind Prabowo, who is likely to seek reelection in 2029.
“Political parties will eventually think about their long-term survival in politics and may have to start an internal discussion about nominating their own members in the next presidential election,” analyst Aditya Perdana said on Saturday.
This, he said, could “influence future dynamics in the cabinet”, particularly if “some party leaders and presidential aspirants serving in the cabinet shift their focus toward running in the race and boosting their standing” instead of ensuring the success of Prabowo’s agenda.
The level playing field, Aditya said, could also mean that Prabowo might have to face potentially strong challengers in the next election, such as his own Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka and his two rivals from the February election of last year: Ganjar Pranowo and Anies Baswedan.
Read also: Small, medium parties hail presidential nomination threshold removal
