TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
Perindo throws support behind Ganjar's bid
Change text size
Gift Premium Articles
to Anyone
Share the best of The Jakarta Post with friends, family, or colleagues. As a subscriber, you can gift 3 to 5 articles each month that anyone can read—no subscription needed!
The Perindo Party has officially joined the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) in backing presidential nominee Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo next year, as the two sides inked a political deal on Friday to work in tandem in the 2024 presidential and legislative elections.
After previously entering exploratory talks with other presumptive presidential nominees, Gerindra’s Prabowo Subianto and Golkar’s Airlangga Hartarto, Perindo chairman and media mogul Hary Tanoesudibyo officially sealed a political deal with his PDI-P counterpart to work as a partner backing Ganjar in the upcoming presidential race.
Perindo joins two other parties that have thrown their support behind Ganjar’s nomination, the United Development Party (PPP), a member of the Golkar-led United Indonesia Coalition (KIB), and the Hanura Party. Both parties have backed President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo since the 2014 race.
“Why the PDI-P? Many people may ask. Before the question is posed elsewhere, I will answer here. The PDI-P is the party that is most prepared today. It passes the 20 percent presidential threshold to field its own candidate. So there is certainty for us in banding together,” Hary said in a live-streamed press conference.
“The most important thing is that Ganjar Pranowo, as we know, is very popular among the people, still young and, most importantly, has the commitment to continue the development [of the country] that we have seen today, including the relocation of the capital,” he added.
“Continuity is certainly very important in building a nation.”
PDI-P chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri noted that Friday’s agreement between the two parties not only encompassed the presidential race, but also the legislative and regional elections, all scheduled to be held next year.
“It would be a bit odd [to be too] picky in forging cooperation. If we wanted to work together in the legislative elections but refrained from [backing the same presidential candidate], that would seem strange to me, and if somebody wanted to do that, I wouldn't want it,” Megawati said. “Let’s work together to win this election in unison,” she added.
Perindo’s support came a day after the largest party in the government coalition concluded a three-day national working meeting where party members discussed “an overarching plan” to be included in what will become Ganjar’s eventual campaign platform, offering guarantees that the presidential nominee will continue the work of President Jokowi, also a member of PDI-P, when he steps down.
Ganjar, who lately has been making appearances at the negotiation table during the party's exploratory talks, thanked Perindo for its support before reiterating his commitment to ensuring continuity in legacy programs set out by Jokowi.
“There is a huge pile of challenges that we must tackle. Pak Jokowi has set up programs that have not been easy, [such as] access and connectivity development, [which is translated into] the infrastructure that reaches villages today. There is also the relocation of the capital that we must complete,” said the governor.
"If that happens, the dream of the founding father, Bung Karno [first president Sukarno] will come true. This will require great strength among political parties to work together, much like how it is today between the PDI-P and Perindo,” he added.
The National Mandate Party (PAN), a Muslim-based party and another member of the KIB, held its first exploratory meeting with the PDI-P last week, where its executives expressed interest in backing Ganjar and proposed State-Owned Enterprises Minister Erick Thohir as his running mate in the 2024 race.
However, both the PDI-P and PAN left the meeting without any “final agreement”, with the latter saying that it was still weighing all available options, including backing Defense Minister Prabowo or pairing its chairman Zulkifli Hasan with Golkar’s presidential nominee Airlangga.
The PDI-P has also engaged in informal talks with Golkar and the National Awakening Party (PKB), the sole ally of Gerindra in the Great Indonesia Awakening Coalition (KKIR), which supports presidential nominee Prabowo, PDI-P secretary-general Hasto Kristiyanto said last week.
