JAKARTA (Reuters) – The presidential candidate of Indonesia’s ruling party will announce his choice of running mate on Wednesday, amid last-minute manoeuvring by the country’s political heavyweights to shore up alliances ahead of the 2024 election.
The world’s third-largest democracy is set to vote in February to replace President Joko Widodo or Jokowi, who has served the maximum two terms allowed.
Ganjar Pranowo, 54, of the Indonesian Democratic Party-Struggle (PDI-P) will “most likely” pick senior cabinet minister Mahfud MD, according to Osman Sapta Odang, head of one of four parties backing the ticket.
Opinion polls show that Ganjar, a former Central Java governor, is neck-and-neck with Defence Minister Prabowo Subianto, 72, who is making a third run at the presidency after having narrowly lost to Jokowi in 2014 and 2019.
Prabowo has yet to announce a running mate, but speculation is rife that he will pair up with Jokowi’s son, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, especially after a top court issued a controversial ruling on eligibility criteria earlier this week that allows the 36-year-old to run in 2024.
Other possible running mates for Ganjar include Bandung city Mayor Ridwan Kamil, Tourism Minister Sandiaga Uno, and former military chief Andika Perkasa, according to party sources.
A lawyer by profession and said to be close to PDI-P chair Megawati Sukarnoputri, Mahfud MD was nearly vice president in 2019 when he was supposed to run with Jokowi, but was dropped from the ticket at the last minute in favour of an Islamic cleric.
Several major parties were due to hold meetings on Wednesday, just a day before candidates and their running mates are scheduled to register and present their policy platforms to the election commission.
Registration will stay open until Oct 25.
Former Jakarta governor Anies Baswedan is also running for president but trailing in surveys.
(Reporting by Ananda Teresia; Writing by Kanupriya Kapoor; Editing by Miral Fahmy)
