STRATEGIC ASSESSMENT. At least a three-horse race is shaping up as the nation’s political parties sign up for the 2024 race, marking the official start of a busy election season ahead. Since Monday of last week, all nine parties contesting the 2019 presidential and legislative elections have registered with the General Elections Commission (KPU) for the coming general election, as coalition building remains underway.
The first party to show up on day one of the registration period on Aug. 1 was the ruling Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P). The party has neither named a candidate pair to back for the presidential race nor has it teamed up with other parties for the coming election. Having more than 20 percent of the seats at the House of Representatives under its belt, the PDI-P is the only party that can nominate a presidential candidate without forming a coalition.
General Elections Commission (KPU) Chairman Hasyim Asy’ari on Thursday said 23 political parties have officially registered as participants in the 2024 elections, out of 42 political parties that have obtained the Political Party Information System (Sipol) account to register. Of the 23 parties, 17 of them have declared their requirements complete and can move on to verification.
Gerindra Party official Sufmi Dasco Ahmad, in a special interview with Kompas on Jul. 29, said the party will declare party chair and Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto as a presidential candidate at their national meeting in Bogor, West Java on Aug. 12-13. The meeting will also announce the party’s coalition with the National Awakening Party (PKB).
Representatives of the Indonesian Hindu Association, the Bishop’s Conference of Indonesia, the Indonesian Buddhists Association, the National Council of Ulemas (MUI), and the Religious Affairs Ministry, during a meeting on Wednesday said they reject the use of identity politics and efforts to politicize religions to win the elections.
General Elections Commission (KPU) Chair Hasyim Asy’ari on Wednesday said 17 of 22 registered political parties have completed documents required to contest in the 2024 elections, and that they can move on to verification.
General Elections Commission (KPU) member Idham Holik on Tuesday said that 15 political parties had not registered as of today. The registration deadline is on Sunday, Aug. 14. He also said 42 political parties at the national level have owned the information system accounts (Sipol) for completing the registration.
Gerindra Party leader Prabowo Subianto is looking increasingly likely to contest in the 2024 presidential election as his party works to seal a coalition deal with the National Awakening Party (PKB), the nation’s largest Muslim-based party. With the PKB’s support, Gerindra is set to field Prabowo in 2024 — his third attempt at the presidency after losing twice to President Jokowi in 2014 and 2019.
In a symbolic move signaling their alliance, Prabowo and PKB Chair Muhaimin Iskandar on Monday registered their parties for the 2024 general elections at the General Elections Commission (KPU). The two party leaders, who plan to officially announce their alliance on Aug. 13, went together to the KPU headquarters in Central Jakarta from Sunda Kelapa Mosque. At a press briefing, Prabowo noted that both Gerindra and the PKB were ready to be “good participants” in the election’s democratic process (Red/many sources).
