PDIP’s Ganjar Pranowo hints at potential alliance with Prabowo Subianto for 2024 Indonesian Presidential Race

INDONESIA: The potential pairing of Ganjar Pranowo, a candidate from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP), and Prabowo Subianto in the upcoming 2024 Presidential Election has been a subject of discussion.

Ganjar Pranowo recently spoke about this possibility during a National Campaign Team meeting at the High-End Building in Kebon Sirih, Menteng, Central Jakarta, on Wednesday (20 Sep).

Ganjar Pranowo, a prominent figure within PDIP, acknowledged the ongoing discourse surrounding the formation of presidential candidate pairs. He emphasized that anything could happen before the official registration with the General Election Commission (KPU).

“In politics, anything is possible before it is determined by the KPU,” he remarked, suggesting that the PDIP is open to exploring various political options.

This discussion about potential candidate pairings began when Jazilul Fawaid, Deputy Chairman of the National Awakening Party (PKB), mentioned the prospect of two pairs of candidates in the 2024 Presidential Election.

However, he also affirmed that the Anies Baswedan and Muhaimin Iskandar pairing would be competing.

“Personally, I don’t necessarily see three axes; it could be two axes. We’ll wait and see,” said Jazilul at the parliamentary complex on Monday (18 Sep).

Jazilul Fawaid also mentioned that the direction of political mapping is gradually becoming clearer, but he refrained from speculating about names until early October.

He encouraged the public to assess the possibility of two candidate axes emerging in the run-up to the 2024 elections and expressed hope that other candidate pairs would join the competition alongside Anies and Cak Imin.

The idea of Ganjar Pranowo and Prabowo Subianto running together came to public attention when the Projo Bali Regional Leadership Council proposed them as a presidential candidate and vice-presidential candidate pair for the 2024 elections.

“Projo Bali proposes Pak Prabowo as the presidential candidate and Pak Ganjar Pranowo as the vice-presidential candidate in the 2024 elections,” announced I Gusti Agung Ronny Indra Wijaya, the Chairman of Projo Bali, during a press conference on Sunday (13 Aug).

Projo emphasized the need for strong and courageous leadership for Indonesia’s future.

The Secretary-General of PDIP, Hasto Kristantyo, addressed the issue of Ganjar Pranowo’s running mate, stating that the announcement would be made at an appropriate time.

“Regarding who will accompany Pak Ganjar Pranowo, we need to wait for the right moment,” he said on Thursday (21 Sep).

Hasto added that the selection of Ganjar Pranowo’s running mate for the 2024 Presidential Election would consider not only electoral aspects but also the commitment and responsibility for the nation’s future.

Djarot Syaiful Hidayat, Chairman of the Central Executive Board of PDIP, expressed that all possibilities were still open. “All possibilities are still open. It could be two axes or three axes.

What’s difficult is one axis and four axes; that’s challenging,” Djarot remarked, refraining from making further predictions about Ganjar’s potential pairing with Prabowo.

Puan Maharani, Chairwoman of PDIP, also commented on the situation, stating that her party is closely monitoring the political dynamics leading up to the presidential and vice-presidential candidate registration in October. She added that PDIP’s stance on whether one of its members would become Prabowo’s running mate would depend on careful consideration.

On the other hand, Sufmi Dasco Ahmad, Secretary-General of the Central Executive Board of the Gerindra Party, stated that the possibility of Prabowo partnering with Ganjar had not been considered. He mentioned that the Koalisi Indonesia Maju (KIM) was currently focusing on developing a joint action plan for the 2024 Presidential Election campaign.

Prabowo Subianto himself addressed the issue, emphasizing the importance of unity and harmony in Indonesian politics. He stated, “What we desire is always unity and harmony. Regardless of what happens, we must be united and peaceful. We must respect whatever mandate is given by the people.”

Prabowo highlighted the people’s desire for leaders who are peaceful and harmonious.