The Democratic Party Supports its Members in Contesting the 2024 Presidential Election

KOMPAS/NORBERTUS ARYA DWIANGGA MARTIAR

Chairman of the Democratic Party High Council Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono gave a speech at the Gathering and Contemplation of the Democratic Party, on Sunday (17/4/2022), in Jakarta.

JAKARTA, KOMPAS - The Democratic Party has decided to nominate their own members as presidential and vice presidential candidates in the upcoming 2024 election. In this regard, the party is in talks with two other political parties as a coalition is needed to be able to make the nomination.

The decision to nominate the party’s members for the 2024 presidential race was agreed at the Democratic Party’s national leadership meeting (Rapimnas) held at the Jakarta Convention center (JCC) Assembly Hall in Jakarta on Thursday and Friday (15-16/9/2022).

The event, which also celebrated the party’s 21st anniversary, was attended by branch, regional and central executive officials, as well as faction members of the House of Representatives and Regional Legislative Councils (DPRD). Moreover, Susilo Bambang Yudhono (SBY), Indonesia’s 6th president and chairman of the party’s high council, also attended the event.

During his speech, Democratic Party chairman Agus Harimurti Yudhyono (AHY) said that party members at the central and regional levels suggested that the party nominate its own members as presidential and vice presidential candidates to contest the 2024 presidential election.

KOMPAS/IQBAL BASYARI

Chairman of the Democratic Party Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono (second from left) gives a press statement at the Democratic Party's headquarters in Jakarta, on Monday (1/2/2021)

“The Democrats are ready to support their own members as presidential and vice presidential candidates,” said Agus. He also hopes that his intentions would not be hindered in any way.

“We should take the presidential election and democracy during the era of president Megawati Soekarnoputri and president Yudhoyono as examples,” said Agus.

However, to participate in the 2024 presidential election, the Democrats need to form a coalition as they have not met the presidential threshold to make a nomination according to the Election Law. The law stipulates that a political party or group of parties must have 20 percent of House seats or 25 percent of the popular vote in the previous election. Currently, the Democratic Party has 54 House seats or 9.4 percent and only 7.7 percent of the popular vote in the 2019 election.

Thus, Agus continued, the Democrats are in talks with two other political parties that also envision changing Indonesia for the better. However, he did not mention the political parties in question.

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The Democrats hope that the candidate pair to be supported by the coalition will have integrity, capability and electability through the support of the people. The candidate pair must also be able to convey the Democrat’s political struggle in change and improvement.

“What is equally important is that this candidate pair must also have chemistry and be strong-willed. They must trust each other, respect each other, strengthen each other and complement each other. Their enthusiasm is doubled,” said Agus.

Party members support Agus

Democratic spokesman Herzaky Mahendra Putra emphasized that the party has not yet named the candidate pair they will nominate. However, he claimed that the grassroots wanted the party to nominate Agus as either a presidential or vice presidential candidate.

A senior researcher at the political research center of the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), Firman Noor, said that the Democrats’ Rapimnas showed that the party was increasingly confident in the face of the 2024 election. “It reflects that the Democrats are ready to battle against stronger parties,” he said.

However, the opportunity to nominate Democratic Party members as presidential and vice presidential candidates will largely depend on which political parties are willing to accept them. Thus far, the only Democratic party member being considered as a presidential or vice presidential contender is Agus.

On the other hand, Agus’ electability according to several surveys is not yet optimal either. The results of a Kompas Research and Development Department (Litbang) survey in June, for one, noted that Agus’ electability reached only 3.4 percent. This figure is lower than other contenders, such as Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto (25.3%), Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo (22%) and Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan (12.6%).

According to Firman, Agus would most likely fit the position of vice president. Yudhyono’s eldest son can accompany other figures proposed by their coalition partners.

The PDI-P unperturbed

From Seoul, South Korea, Kompas journalist Antonius Ponco Anggoro reported that the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) is unperturbed by the increasing number of political parties that are collaborating to contest the 2024 presidential election. As of now, the PDI-P is considering nominating their own candidate pair without forming a coalition with other political parties.

The PDI-P chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri, when interviewed in Seoul on Friday, admitted that she had received many questions about why she and her party had been silent while other political parties raced to build coalitions for 2024. According to Megawati, it should be obvious that each political party had its own strategy.

KOMPAS/MEGANDIKA WICAKSONO

The PDI-P chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri

Megawati encouraged other parties to form coalitions early on. Currently, the PDI-P remains focused on international consolidation and finalizing preparations for the 2024 general election. This includes ensuring that the PDI-P passes the administrative verification process at the General Elections Commission (KPU). Next month, the PDI-P will also begin to recruit candidates for legislative posts as well as regional and deputy regional head positions.

The PDI-P has not yet determined whether it will form a coalition as the party already holds a ticket to nominate a presidential and vice presidential pair. According to Megawati, this was also considered in forming their strategy for the 2024 presidential election. “It’s not that we’re arrogant, but the fact is that the PDI-P can hold its own. That, too, is what we’re considering,” she said. (DEA/NIA/HAR)

(This article was translated by Kesya Adhalia)