PDIP Secretary General, Hasto Kristiyanto, read out one by one the names of the 13 candidates running in the 2024 Pilkada. They will compete in the gubernatorial election.
Taking place at the PDIP DPP office, Central Jakarta, last Wednesday (14/8), PDI Perjuangan DPP General Chair Megawati Soekarnoputri then submitted a letter of recommendation to the prospective regional head and deputy regional head candidates from the party with the white-nosed bull symbol. On that occasion, Megawati said there were three requirements for the nomination proposed by PDIP.
“I often tell Hasto, if you call for a candidate, there are three things you have to ask. First, are you afraid? A leader must have guts. Second, must be willing to go down to meet the grassroots. Third, do you have money? For what is it called making billboards, campaigning. Those are the three points,” said Mega in front of hundreds of PDIP administrators and cadres who are candidates in the Pilkada.
Data received by VOA, candidates for the Pilgiub in Java island including DKI Jakarta, West Java, Central Java and East Java have not been included in the announced list. Even the PDIP candidate for the Solo Pilwalkot is the same. The Head of the Solo PDIP DPC, Hadi Rudyatmo also spoke up.
“Yes, we will continue to wait. Registration at the DPC has 8 candidates for Mayor and 12 candidates for Deputy Mayor of Solo. We have sent all the selection results to the PDIP DPP. We don't know if anyone registered through the DPD or the PDIP DPP. The recommendation is only for a pair, 2 people, the Mayor and Deputy Mayor candidates. I leave everything to the PDIP General Chairperson,” said Rudyatmo.
Megawati reminded those who received PDIP recommendations in the 2024 Pilkada together with PDIP cadres in the regions to continue moving to the lower levels of society.
“Learn from Bung Karno. The poor and neglected children are cared for by the state. This was included in the agenda of yesterday's National Working Meeting, right? So you have to go into places called under bridges, meet children who cannot go to school. You have to send them to school. Just imagine their poor condition. That is your responsibility. Governors, regents, mayors are positions and symbols of the state,” said Megawati.
According to information gathered by VOA, PDIP will again issue regional election recommendations this week for regions that were not announced by the PDIP general chairman yesterday ahead of the registration period.
However, it is not only PDIP that is providing candidate recommendations in the 2024 Pilkada
The Democratic Party's DPP submitted recommendation letters to 100 regional head candidates at the district/city level at the Democratic Party's DPP Office, Jakarta, Thursday (8/8) evening. The candidates were dominated by the main cadres of the Democratic Party.
The Central Leadership Council of the Indonesian Solidarity Party (PSI) submitted party recommendation letters to 13 prospective regional head candidates nominated in the 2024 Pilkada last Monday (5/8).
Researcher and academic of Slamet Riyadi University Solo, Doctor Suwardi, said the selection of candidates who received political party recommendations, underwent a long process. Cadres or non-cadre figures carried by political parties are very selective, Suwardi emphasized.
“People choose based on political personal, not only from the side of political party cadres. Political personal is popularity, level of likeability or compatibility, acceptability and electability. So whether the candidate is a cadre or not, for the political party that can guarantee victory, it will clearly be oriented towards that. Which political party does not want to win in the contest. If there are good political personal cadres within the political party, they will be chosen, but if there are figures outside the political party who are superior, it is clear that the political party will take them. Be realistic,” Suwardi told VOA.
Suwardi further explained the strategy for selecting candidates in tiered political parties. There are political party cadres who have entered political careers from the bottom as a form of appreciation for loyalty and the potential to gain dominant votes from the community. Senior or young cadres, he said, are still considered. (yes/if)
