Indonesia election 2024: as Jokowi ‘deserts’ nation’s ruling party, will voters be divided?

The PDI-P is openly discussing a split from President Joko Widodo, sparking doubts about its ability to retain its stronghold in parts of Java

Analysts say the party, which won over 19 per cent of votes in the 2019 election, wants to distance from Jokowi to limit the risk of its supporters jumping ship

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From left: Indonesia’s former president Megawati, President Joko Widodo, Vice-President Maruf Amin and presidential candidate Ganjar Pranowo attend the celebration of ‘Sukarno’s Month’, named for the nation’s founder, in Jakarta. Photo: AFP

Published: 10:00pm, 1 Nov 2023Updated: 11:12pm, 1 Nov 2023

After months of studious silence, Indonesia’s ruling party over the weekend confirmed a widening rift with President Joko Widodo, fuelling speculation on the impact of the split on the party’s fortunes at the February 14 presidential election.

Widodo, or Jokowi as he is widely known, has relied on the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) as his main political vehicle for more than two decades, helping to secure his mayorship of Solo city, governorship of Jakarta, and two presidential terms.

But with PDI-P leaders now openly talking about a split from Widodo, concerns have emerged about whether the party can still retain its stronghold across parts of Java, the largest island and voting group in Indonesia.

Presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto (right) and his running mate Gibran Rakabuming Raka, the eldest son of President Joko Widodo, greet supporters in Jakarta. Photo: AP

With his popularity at 80 per cent, analysts said Widodo has enough political capital to help him secure not just his legacy of governance, but to also spend it on his children’s political futures.

His eldest son Gibran Rakabuming Raka has paired up with Prabowo Subianto, Widodo’s defence minister, as his vice-presidential candidate after the Constitutional Court ruled that anyone below the age of 40 could run in the presidential election if they have been elected as regional leaders.

The PDI-P said on Sunday Widodo had “deserted” the party to pursue his political ambitions. The party also attacked what it saw as his attempt to “manipulate” the law to make Gibran, 36, eligible to run in the 2024 elections despite his young age.

“We really love and give great privileges to President Jokowi and his family, but we have been left behind because [Widodo has] other demands that have the potential to violate good practices and the Constitution,” Hasto Kristiyanto, the PDI-P’s secretary general, said on Sunday.