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PKS moves closer to Tommy Soeharto, Anies Baswedan
The Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) is hoping to come back strong in elections in the next five years by embracing Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan and Berkarya Party chairman Hutomo Mandala Putra, better known as Tommy Soeharto
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span>The Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) is hoping to come back strong in elections in the next five years by embracing Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan and Berkarya Party chairman Hutomo Mandala Putra, better known as Tommy Soeharto.
At the party’s recent national congress in Jakarta, PKS advisory board chairman Salim Segaf al-Jufri expressed hope for his party’s bright future in the 2024 presidential and legislative elections.
“I wish that in 2024, insya Allah [God willing] we won’t be a mid-tier party anymore. I want us to be the number one party in this country,” he said to party cadres on Thursday.
The Islamic party got mixed results this year. It ranked sixth in the legislative election with 11.49 million votes, marking a significant increase from the 8.48 million votes it gained five years ago.
The party failed to help Prabowo Subianto win the presidential election. After the defeat, Prabowo and his Gerindra Party jumped ship, joining President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s big-tent coalition. The PKS, meanwhile, has explained it will remain in the opposition for the next five years.
As part of its strategy to win the 2024 elections, PKS president Sohibul Iman is scheduled to meet Tommy, the youngest son of former president Soeharto, this week.
In 2002, Tommy was sentenced to 10 years of imprisonment for ordering the murder of Supreme Court justice Syaifuddin Kartasasmita, who had handed him a guilty verdict for corruption in 2000.
Tommy was part of the Golkar Party before establishing his own party, Berkarya, in 2016.
“Mas Tommy will visit the PKS headquarters,” PKS secretary-general Mustafa Kamal said.
Mustafa said the PKS would also approach other opposition parties, like the National Mandate Party (PAN) and the Democratic Party.
“We want to know their stance and political positioning,” he added.
Mustafa said the party had begun to compile a list of possible presidential candidates. The names include that of Anies, who delivered a speech at the PKS national coordination meeting on Thursday. Just a week before, Anies had attended the opening of the NasDem Party’s national congress.
During his speech, Anies stated that NasDem and the PKS’s apparent closeness was a good example of maintaining unity. He was referring to a meeting between NasDem Party chairman Surya Paloh and PKS chairman Sohibul Iman in October.
The meeting between the two figures has caught President Jokowi’s attention lately. The President has previously jokingly commented that Surya — as a leader of a political party in the government coalition — appeared to look brighter after meeting Sohibul in October, citing that the way Surya embraced Sohibul at the time was “unusual”.
“It’s been a hug-season lately,” Anies said on Thursday.
“The embracement has a meaning. It’s symbolic. But if there is a closeness at the top level, insya Allah [God willing], it would also happen at the bottom level. The togetherness should be maintained for all. We need this,” he went on to say.
Anies further said that, despite the parties’ rivalry in the 2019 presidential election, Surya and Sohibul could sit together and maintain unity, citing that unity required effort and that it was not always easy.
“Unity is different from bhinneka [diversity]. Diversity is our innate. Some are Sundanese, some are Bugis, Minang, Javanese. Diversity is a fact, but unity is not. We need to work for it and we can only achieve it with effort,” he said.
Anies' attendance at both parties’ national events — in his capacity as Jakarta governor — has spurred speculation that the parties are leaning toward supporting Anies as a potential presidential candidate in 2024.
However, Anies has denied such speculation, saying the public should not overanalyze his attendance.
“There is no meaning. Don’t overanalyze it,” he said.
The NasDem Party has said that it will hold a presidential candidate convention in 2022 or two years ahead of the election to provide a wide opportunity for the nation’s potential figures.
Mustafa said the PKS would still list possible presidential candidates for the 2024 election.
“Aside from Anies, we have many options. Many of them are regional leaders,” he said, adding that the PKS would prioritize party cadres for its shortlist.
Previously, Anies attendance at the opening of NasDem Party’s national congress in Jakarta had further fanned rumors of his potential nomination as a presidential candidate for the 2024 election.
Addressing reporters on the sidelines of the congress, Surya said he would leave it up to Anies whether he would take up the nomination.
“It’s up to Anies — if he’s certain about going for the 2024 election,” the NasDem Party chairman said.
Surya added that the congress was supposed to be an internal meeting for party members, but Anies had been invited as Jakarta governor and for allowing the four-day congress to be held in the capital city.
“[Anies’ opening remark] was normative, but at least it was a show of appreciation toward NasDem members who’ve come from across the country to attend the congress in Jakarta, which is under his leadership,” said the media mogul.
The governor, however, seemed to be shying away from questions regarding his potential candidacy.
“We’re just welcoming, on behalf of Jakarta residents, NasDem members in the Jakarta congress. We welcome them, that’s all,” Anies said.
