Fresh faces, party stalwarts in the mix in PPP leadership race in Indonesia
Sandiaga Uno (seated, rear left), campaign chief of the United Development Party (PPP), watches as PPP legislative candidate Agoes Joesni (right) takes the floor at an election rally on Feb. 4, 2024, in Pekalongan, Central Java. - Antara via The Jakarta Post/ANN
JAKARTA: The United Development Party (PPP) is opening its doors to outsiders as potential contenders in the party's upcoming leadership race later this year, while some members also remain in contention as the party looks to regain its relevance in time for the 2029 elections.
Having won just 3.87 per cent of the total vote in last year's legislative election, the PPP, the country's oldest Islamic party, failed to meet the four per cent threshold needed to send representatives to the national legislature for the first time since its formation.
The party is now aiming to make a comeback at the House of Representatives in 2029 and planning to hold a congress either in August or September this year to elect a definitive chairman who will lead the effort.
PPP council head and the party's former chair, Muhammad 'Romy' Romahurmuziy, told The Jakarta Post on Sunday (June 1) that support is swelling among the PPP's regional offices for former Jakarta governor Anies Baswedan and Agriculture Minister Amran Sulaiman to join the race for the party's chairmanship. Both Anies and Amran are currently unaffiliated with any party.
'Anies' name has come up as of late, especially from our Jakarta office, where members feel a special connection with him,' Romy said. 'Meanwhile, regional chapters in South Sulawesi, Riau and several other areas have voiced their support for Amran.'
After losing the 2024 presidential race in February and missing the chance to stage a reelection campaign in Jakarta a few months after, Anies is set to remain out of public office until at least 2029. Despite this, he retains widespread popularity, especially among Muslim voters.
But when asked about the possibility of running for PPP chair, Anies told reporters on the sidelines of his visit to Mataram, West Nusa Tenggara on Sunday he was unaware his name was being considered, Kompas.com reported.
Amran, meanwhile, is a seasoned technocrat who has been appointed as agriculture minister three times, with the first two occasions in 2014 and 2023 under then-president Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo.
While he is the cousin of South Kalimantan's influential businessman Andi 'Haji Isam' Syamsuddin Arsyad, Romy said that support for Amran is based on merit and not family ties.
Another potential contender, Romy said, is former trade minister Agus Suparmanto, who has been consolidating support within the PPP, particularly in Central Java.
In contrast, Social Affairs Minister Saifullah Yusuf and presidential advisor and former Army chief of staff Dudung Abdurachman have withdrawn from the race. "But with the congress still three to four months away, more names will surely emerge as potential candidates,' Romy said.
PPP executive Rusli Effendi told the Post on Sunday that while the party welcomes new members, its internal bylaws outline certain procedures that must be followed before a newcomer can be considered for the chairmanship.
'The names [being floated as potential chairman contenders] are not the party's official stance, they reflect only one person's views,' Rusli said, referring to Romy. 'We also have plenty of capable people within the party who we are keen to prioritize [as chair contenders],' he added.
Among PPP members that have been floated in the chairmanship race are incumbent acting chairman Mardiono, former tourism minister Sandiaga Uno, party executive Amir Uskara and Central Java deputy governor Taj Yasin Maimoen.
Rusli said the PPP is still ironing out details for the congress and has yet to determine whether it will be held either in August or September this year.
And while the congress is expected to produce a vote for the party's definite chairman, Rusli said the party is open to the possibility of a chair being elected through acclamation if there is only one candidate running. - The Jakarta Post/ANN
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