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Analysis: Ganjar’s nomination sets off flurry of political negotiations
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With the ruling Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) settling on Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo as its presidential candidate, the other parties are readjusting their positions with regard to their own nominations ahead of the 2024 elections. Parties that in the past formed alliances to field common candidates are revisiting their positions, and some are contemplating joining the PDI-P in supporting Ganjar’s candidacy.
After PDI-P chair Megawati Soekarnoputri announced Ganjar as the party’s candidate on April 21, negotiations on forming alliances are taking a more serious tone than they have in the recent past. Party leaders have held meetings, some widely covered by the media, but the real negotiations are taking place behind closed doors.
Ganjar is the only presidential candidate that has secured the presidential ticket. The PDI-P won enough seats in the 2019 legislative elections to have the automatic right to nominate its presidential and vice-presidential candidate. All other parties must pool their House of Representative seats to meet the threshold in fielding candidates.
Two other names already declared as presidential candidates are Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto and former Jakarta governor Anies Baswedan. Their nominations are not 100 percent set as the parties backing them are now engaging in different negotiations. Complicating the matter is the role that President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo plays in all this.
On Tuesday, President Jokowi invited the chairs of six political parties that are part of his coalition government ostensibly for a post-Ramadan dinner, but insiders said they discussed politics, including the presidential election. One idea the president has been mooting is for Ganjar and Prabowo to run on the same ticket, with the defense minister playing second fiddle.
Prabowo has outrightly rejected this proposal, on more than one occasion. After Tuesday’s dinner, he told reporters that he would run as president and nothing less. You could hardly blame him. All opinion polls put him as the leading candidate ahead of Ganjar and Anies.
One coalition that has crumbled is the three-member United Indonesian Coalition (KIB) led by the Golkar Party. The Islamist United Development Party (PPP) has already declared it is joining the PDI-P in supporting Ganjar’s nomination. The National Mandate Party (PAN) is contemplating following suit but it is hoping that all three join and negotiate with the PDI-P for concessions in return for their support for Ganjar.
