Politics at the regional level paints a different picture compared to the national political scene, with alliances deemed more fluid, rivals often becoming teammates and friends turning into opponents.

The sole goal of the political parties is to win as many regional elections as they can, which, according to party executives, explains why members of the pro-government coalition at the House of Representatives often partner up with opposition parties in support of regional candidates.

Popularity of prospective candidates matters most

Party executives have said that local political landscapes, as well as the characteristics of each region and local figures also tend to play key roles in deciding whether to throw in support for candidates.

Thus, political parties often turn to figures who have high electability ratings to ensure they have the highest chance of winning local elections, said NasDem Party politician Willy Aditya, who is part of the party’s campaign team.

Willy said electability was the most significant factor that decided NasDem’s nomination of a candidate, saying that the party would even back non-NasDem members but were more electable than its own cadres.

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