Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) presidential nominee Ganjar Pranowo (centre) greets supporters as he visits a low-income residential area in Pademangan, North Jakarta, on June 25, 2023.- Antara
JAKARTA (The Jakarta Post/Asia News Network): The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) has issued an ultimatum that party members must rally behind its presidential nominee Ganjar Pranowo or face expulsion.
“Members defecting [from the party] by supporting other candidates are welcome to resign or face dismissal,” PDI-P secretary-general Hasto Kristiyanto said at press conference after the party’s regional working meeting in Jambi on Saturday (July 30).
He did not mention specific cases of disloyalty. The ultimatum came after three prominent ruling party members made headlines in recent months for appearing to support another presumptive presidential candidate, Defence Minister Prabowo Subianto, who will likely compete with Ganjar for the country’s top office next year.
Surakarta Mayor Gibran Rakabuming Raka, the eldest son of President Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo, set social media and political circles abuzz in May when he hosted Prabowo for dinner at his official residence.
The dinner was followed by surprise announcements from several Jokowi and Gibran supporter groups from Central Java and East Java that they would support the defence minister for president.
The controversy came alongside reports that a growing contingent of Jokowi’s supporter groups favoured Prabowo over Ganjar for the presidency in 2024, which analysts say may reflect Jokowi’s own preferences.
Effendi Simbolon, a long-time PDI-P member, caused a similar stir when, in July, he invited Prabowo to an event held by Punguan Simbolon Dohot Boruna Indonesia (PSBI), an ostensibly apolitical organisation he chairs that groups together members of the Batak clan Simbolon.
Another PDI-P politician, Budiman Sudjatmiko, a former democracy activist who opposed the New Order regime, also raised eyebrows last month when he visited Prabowo at his private residence in Jakarta.
He praised the former son-in-law of the country’s longtime autocratic ruler, Suharto, and said he was the kind of person that Indonesia needed now.
The three figures were summoned by the party leadership to explain their meeting with Prabowo but were not penalised. They did, however, received a “reminder” to toe the party line, PDI-P ethics council head Komarudin Watubun said.
After naming Ganjar the party’s 2024 presidential nominee in April, PDI-P chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri instructed all party members to fully back the Central Java governor’s presidential bid, warning that any members who did otherwise would face disciplinary action.
Party unity may be crucial for Ganjar, who has been struggling to reclaim his lead in opinion polls following the political fallout from his objection to the Israeli national team’s participation in the FIFA U-20 soccer World Cup.
Ganjar topped electability surveys for 18 months until April, when he began facing criticism from politicians and members of the public for his role in Indonesia’s loss of its license to host the U-20 tournament over the Israel issue.
The latest opinion poll from the Indonesia Survey Institute (LSI), conducted from July 1 to 8, found Prabowo was now the front-runner in a simulated three-horse race with 35.8 per cent of the vote. The same survey showed Ganjar and Anies following with 32.2 per cent and 21.4 per cent, respectively.
Save 30% for ads-free and full access now!
