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Gerindra touts Prabowo’s niece to run in South Tangerang mayoral election
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Gerindra politician Rahayu "Sara" Saraswati speaks in a meeting at the House of Representatives. (Kompas.com/File)
G
erindra party politician Rahayu “Sara” Saraswati has secured support from the party’s executive board to run in the upcoming South Tangerang regional elections, pending official endorsement from her uncle, party chairman Prabowo Subianto.
Gerindra’s South Tangerang branch executive board (DPC) has supported Sara as the party’s candidate for the 2020 regional elections, which has also been approved by the party’s executive board (DPD). Her official candidacy would need the stamp of approval from Prabowo who, as the party’s chairman, would have the final say on the party’s candidates competing in regional elections.
Gerindra South Tangerang DPC secretary-general Yudi Budi Wibodo said the party was intensively communicating with other political parties.
Geridra has eight seats on the South Tangerang Legislative Council (DPRD), so it will need to forge a coalition with other parties to endorse a candidate. It takes at least 10 seats, or 20 percent of the total 50 seats on the council for a party to endorse its own candidate.
Read also: Hopefuls set sights on leadership posts in hip South Tangerang
Yudi refused to further comment on possible coalition partners.
“All parties are the same to us. Each party has potential, especially those that have not declared their possible candidates,” he said on Saturday as reported by kompas.com.
Sara is the daughter of businessman Hashim Djojojadikusumo, Prabowo’s youngest brother. She previously served as a House of Representatives lawmaker for the 2014-2019 period. She ran for reelection in the 2019 legislative elections but failed to secure a seat.
South Tangerang in Banten is among 270 regions slated to elect their new leaders in concurrent regional elections in December this year. The region, considered a growing and hip satellite city to capital Jakarta, has attracted a number of hopefuls that have declared their plans to run in the elections, including current Deputy Mayor Benyamin Davnie and daughter of Vice President Ma'ruf Amin, Siti Nur Azizah.
Sara said she was not afraid to compete against other possible candidates in the elections.
"Everyone has their own strengths and weaknesses," she told kompas.com on Friday. (rin)
