Indonesia’s General Elections Commission (KPU) officially registered political parties interested in contesting in the 2024 general elections (GE) from 1 to 14 August 2022. Even though the elections are about 18 months away, early manoeuvring has begun among the key parties jostling for the presidential election (PE).
The most conspicuous alliance to emerge so far is that of Gerindra Chairman Prabowo Subianto and National Awakening Party (PKB) Chairman Muhaimin Iskandar. Their tandem registration with the KPU on 8 August and joint press conference, where Prabowo expressed his readiness to run for the third time as president while Muhaimin showed his enthusiasm to be Prabowo’s running mate, clearly threw down the gauntlet to the other parties.
This proposed Prabowo-Muhaimin ticket confirms the aspirational zeitgeist among party elites to ensure that their party’s nominations for the presidential and vice-presidential tickets in 2024 will almost exclusively go to party chairpersons or senior party cadres.
The party leaders in the United Indonesia Coalition (KIB) have expressed similar attitudes. Golkar Chairman Airlangga Hartarto, National Mandate Party (PAN) Chairman Zulkifli Hasan, and United Development Party (PPP) Chairman Suharso Monoarfa jointly registered with the KPU on 10 August.
Although the KIB have not determined their PE nominees, they have stated on several occasions that they will prioritise the chairpersons of the KIB parties. Airlangga could benefit the most because Golkar currently has the most seats in the parliament and traditionally pulls in more votes than either PPP or PAN.
