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When NasDem chairman Surya Paloh walks out after Jokowi’s teasing
In his off-the-cuff remark, the President apparently teased NasDem boss Surya after he decided to accelerate the declaration of Anies as a presidential candidate on Oct. 3.
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Three in one: National Mandate Party (PAN) chair Zulkifli Hasan (left), Golkar Party chair Airlangga Hartarto (center) and United Development Party (PPP) chair Suharso Monoarfa link arms after registering their parties’ joint participation in the 2024 elections with the General Elections Commission (KPU) in Jakarta on Aug. 10. The three parties are grouped under the United Indonesia Coalition (KIB). (Antara/Aprillio Akbar)
I
n his speech at the Golkar Party’s 58th anniversary on Friday, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo acted like a kingmaker who wanted to define the course of succession in 2024. While praising Golkar for forming an alliance with fellow members of the ruling coalition for the 2024 presidential election, Jokowi seemed to criticize NasDem Party chairman Surya Paloh, who was seated just in front of him, for joining forces with the opposition and declaring former Jakarta governor Anies Baswedan the presidential candidate.
Based on his remarks, I conclude that Jokowi wants three tickets to contest the Feb. 14, 2024 election, and two of them will receive his blessing. The President has repeatedly hinted at his preference for the popular Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo, the frontrunner in various opinion polls, ahead of Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto and Anies.
Prabowo lost to Jokowi in the 2014 and 2019 races, and now has emerged as a strong contender for the 2024 election, thanks in part to his acceptance to join the Jokowi government. The two have shown good chemistry and proximity in a number of functions in the last few months either in Jakarta or elsewhere.
In his message conveyed to the elite of Golkar and other political parties, Jokowi spoke of the need for prudence and wisdom when it came to the presidential nomination, saying it would determine the future of Indonesia. Jokowi was simply stating the obvious, but given that the nine members of the ruling coalition would need his endorsement in the 2024 race, his words are worthy to be taken into account. Golkar, for one, has openly admitted it needed the President’s support.
Apart from NasDem, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) was the subject of Jokowi’s censure for failure to declare its choice of presidential candidate. PDI-P chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri has indicated her preference for her daughter, the unpopular House of Representatives Speaker Puan Maharani, but has refrained from making a declaration. Puan’s electability is far behind that of Ganjar, who is also a PDI-P cadre.
“Do not take too long [to decide on a candidate],” said the President. The country’s largest party was represented by its secretary-general Hasto Kristiyanto in the Golkar function.
In his off-the-cuff remark, the President apparently teased NasDem boss Surya, who decided to accelerate the declaration of Anies as presidential candidate on Oct. 3 from originally sometime in November. Anies ended his term as Jakarta governor on Oct. 16.
