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PSI opens door to Jokowi in leadership race
An open race for the leadership position of the PSI has raised speculations about whether former president Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, who is not a member of any political party after being expelled from the PDI-P, will join the self-proclaimed “youth party”.
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Kaesang Pangarep (center), chair of the Indonesian Solidarity Party (PSI) and the youngest son of President Joko “Jokowi“ Widodo, speaks on Feb. 5, 2024, during a campaign event supporting presidential candidate pair Prabowo Subianto and Gibran Rakabuming Raka at the Ngurah Rai Sports Arena in Denpasar, Bali. (AFP/Sonny Tumbelaka)
T
he Indonesian Solidarity Party (PSI) leaves its door wide open for former president Joko “Jokowi” Widodo to take the reins as its next chairman, as the party begins its search for new leadership in its first-ever open leadership election.
On Tuesday, the PSI announced the opening of registration for candidates vying for the position of party chairman at its headquarters in Jakarta. The registration period will be open until the end of May.
The party, currently led by Jokowi’s youngest son Kaesang Pangarep, is scheduled to hold its leadership contest, called Pemilihan Raya (grand election), on July 19 in Surakarta, Central Java, the hometown of the former president and his family.
PSI deputy chair Andy Budiman said that the party welcomes all potential candidates, including long-time members and newcomers who share its vision, to run in the upcoming leadership election, including national figures like Jokowi.
When asked about the possibility of the former president becoming a candidate, Andy told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday: “Any newcomers, including Pak Jokowi, are allowed to join the contest as long as they share our vision, become members first and meet the requirements.”
He claimed that no official communication had taken place so far between the party and Jokowi, but Andy emphasized that the PSI remains open to his potential participation in the race.
The PSI has been seen as one of the potential political vehicles for Jokowi, who is not currently a member of any party. He was expelled from his former political party the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) for refusing to support the party’s presidential candidate and instead tacitly backing President Prabowo Subianto in the 2024 election.
