The Indonesia Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) offered guarantees on Thursday that its presidential nominee Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo will continue the work of President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo when he steps down, as the leading party in the government coalition ramps up its electoral strategy to score big in a single round at the ballot box next year.

Concluding a three-day national working meeting (Rakernas) to consolidate the party’s 2024 election strategy, PDI-P matriarch Megawati Soekarnoputri banged the gavel on recommendations to be included in what would become Ganjar’s eventual campaign platform.

With the registration period for candidates in the elections just six months away, political parties are lining up their resources from the top of their central branches all the way down to grassroots supporters in the regions.

“The meeting has prepared the mission statement for the presidential candidate, [...] which is not just a short-term plan. It is an overarching plan [...] that starts with a commitment to ensure the poor and neglected children are cared for by the state,” Megawati said in her closing remarks.

The third Rakernas, which kicked off on Tuesday, was one of the party’s most strategic meetings to be held ahead of next year’s elections. During this meeting, the party’s executives and regional representatives discussed a number of crucial issues that included formulating an overview of Ganjar’s mission and the best-suited strategy.

Among the more prominent points produced by the meeting is a clear commitment to ensure that the legacy programs set out by President Jokowi will continue and even be expedited by Ganjar.

“The PDI-P will ensure that President Jokowi’s main concern relating to the relocation of the nation’s capital city, the downstreaming of industry [...] and accelerating the development of strategic corridors throughout Indonesia [...] will continue,” Megawati said.

“In fact, we have been brainstorming about the possibility that if we win, insy’Allah [God Willing] the programs will be expedited because we have the experience of governing over two terms,” she added.

The meeting was concluded amid speculation about a growing rift between Megawati and Jokowi, reportedly about Ganjar’s nomination.

The two central figures of the party have kept in close correspondence over the years, but the April announcement of Ganjar as the party’s nominee was reportedly made without consulting the President.

Reportedly blindsided by the decision, according to sources with knowledge of the dynamic, Jokowi appeared to shift his support from Ganjar to his potential rival, Gerindra Party chairman Prabowo Subianto, a two-time challenger of Jokowi in past elections.

Ganjar, governor of one of the most populous provinces, is set to run for the presidency against Prabowo and former Jakarta governor Anies Baswedan. The three have been competing neck-and-neck in most public opinion polls, in what is shaping up to be a hotly contested race.

Single-round ambitions

Aiming for a third consecutive win in the upcoming poll, the PDI-P is looking to ramp up its door-to-door canvassing across the provinces and boost Ganjar’s popularity, as it seeks to score a big win next year.

“It feels like it would be a waste of energy if [the election] carries over to a run-off,” Said Abdullah, PDI-P executive and chair of the party's East Java office, told reporters.

“The PDI-P [prefers] not to waste the state budget on elections. It would be better if we streamline the presidential election into a single round. We’d [like to] contest peacefully,” he added.

Aside from continuing a record of landslide victories in Central Java, a long-time PDI-P stronghold, the country’s largest party is looking to make inroads in electorates held by potential rivals, including the key battlegrounds of West Java and West Sumatra, senior PDI-P politician Puan Maharani said on Wednesday.

In the 2019 elections, Jokowi managed to capture more votes in the country’s most populous province of West Java and West Sumatra, strongholds of Prabowo. The party is seeking to emulate this success next year.

“[We’re] not only seeking to increase Ganjar's electoral support […], we also expect to maintain electoral districts that have become our strongholds [and] expand our reach in other districts,” Puan said.

Editor's note: Updated to correct mistake in lede.

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