Indonesia election 2024: Jokowi’s son could run against ruling party’s VP pick as divisions widen

The PDI-P has picked an Islamic scholar to partner with its choice of presidential candidate Ganjar Pranowo

A possible VP bid by President Joko Widodo’s eldest son could further widen divisions within the ruling party

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Surakarta’s mayor Gibran Rakabuming Raka, the eldest son of Indonesian President Joko Widodo, at an event in Surakarta on Monday. Photo: Antara Foto via Reuters

Published: 6:27pm, 18 Oct 2023

Indonesia’s ruling party on Wednesday appointed a high-ranking cabinet minister and Islamic scholar as its vice-presidential candidate in next year’s election, in a move that analysts said could level the playing field with a rival pairing that is likely to involve President Joko Widodo’s eldest son.

Contestants vying to rule the world’s third-largest democracy are set to register themselves to the General Election Commission on Thursday, kicking off a series of election processes that will climax on February 14 when voters flock to the booths nationwide. Registration of candidates will close on October 25.

Two pairings have been confirmed so far. Running on a ticket by the ruling PDI-P, to which Widodo belongs, are former Central Java governor Ganjar Pranowo and Mohammad Mahfud, coordinating minister of political, legal and security affairs, who has strong Islamic credentials.

Another ticket pairs former Jakarta governor Anies Baswedan and Muhaimin Iskandar, deputy speaker of the House of Representatives and chairman of the nationalist Muslim party, the National Awakening Party or PKB.

A likely third paring is Prabowo Subianto, a former special forces commander turned defence minister, who is expected to tap Gibran Rakabuming, Widodo’s eldest son, as his running mate following a controversial court ruling on Monday that opens the way for the 36-year-old to contest in the election.

The PDI-P’s selection of Mahfud as Ganjar’s running mate makes it clear it is trying to attract Muslim voters, particularly among Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), Indonesia’s largest moderate Muslim group with at least 95 million members, said political analyst Firman Noor.

“It was suspected that PDI-P would appoint a figure from Islamic circles, especially from Nahdlatul Ulama. This is to attract the attention of Islamic voters and show that Ganjar, with his nationalist background, is committed to building synergy with Islamic communities, especially the Nahdliyin [NU members],” said Firman, a political researcher at the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN).