Who Will Lead Indonesia's PDI-P Into the 2024 Election?
The Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) is currently the largest political party in Indonesia, with 128 seats in the national parliament, exceeding the threshold of 115 seats needed to nominate a presidential candidate under Indonesia’s election laws.
In other words, it is the only political party in Indonesia today with the ability to nominate a presidential candidate without the need to form a political coalition with other parties. Commensurate with its parliamentary presence, five PDI-P politicians serve as ministers in President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s cabinet.
The PDI-P is also strong electorally in the key battleground provinces of Central Java and East Java, home to more than 70 million Indonesians, as well as the Outer Island provinces of Bali, East Nusa Tenggara, and Papua.
Given its power and influence, PDI-P’s electoral strategy and choice of its presidential nominee will have a large effect on the trajectory of the 2024 presidential elections and what is likely to happen during the next presidential term. As a result, Indonesian political parties and political observers will most certainly be paying close attention to PDI-P’s electoral strategy.
The PDI-P has two potential presidential nominees. Puan Maharani is the speaker of the Indonesian Parliament and one of the key personalities on the party’s national board. She is the daughter of current party chairman Megawati Sukarnoputri and has been groomed as a likely successor to Megawati.
The other potential presidential nominee, Ganjar Pranowo, is the governor of Central Java province. The governor has gained national prominence in recent years and is a favored presidential candidate, according to pollsters. Read More...
