Indonesian President Joko Widodo’s political party and the main party in the ruling coalition, the Indonesian Democratic Struggle Party, recently identified a candidate for the 2024 Indonesian presidential election: Ganjar Pranowo, the current Governor of Central Java Province. Some analysts said that this means that the competition for Indonesia’s next general election is gradually becoming clearer.
According to a report by Singapore News Channel Asia (CNA) on April 29, with the support of the Democratic Party of Struggle, Ganchar, who is already quite popular, has a clear advantage in the presidential race. However, he still needs to consider many things when finding a running mate because he needs to find a deputy who can expand the voter base and balance the interests of the major political parties.
Ganchar is known for his image of the “white-haired man”. In recent days, Joko has often hinted that Ganchar is the heir to the presidency in his mind. Widodo once told some 150,000 supporters at the stadium: “What I need to say is that a leader who cares about public opinion and puts people above all else can be seen from his face, his appearance. His His face was wrinkled because he was always thinking of the people, and his hair had turned white.”
Jokowi and Ganchar, both from Central Java, are considered populist politicians. However, Ganchar’s high popularity did not allow him to become the presidential candidate endorsed by the Democratic Party of Struggle. The daughter of Indonesia’s founding president Sukarno and former president Megawati is the leader of the Democratic Struggle Party. She hopes to send her daughter, the current speaker of the National Assembly, Puan Maharani (Puan Maharani), to participate in the 2024 presidential election. Bouan, backed by Megawati, has been extremely low in the polls. The news that Jokowi and Megawati have fallen into discord has spread in Indonesian political circles and society.
On April 21, the Democratic Party of Struggle unified its opinions, and the party decided to support Ganchar in the 2024 presidential election. CNA reported on the 29th that Ganchar’s support rate in the presidential polls remained at a level of 20% to 26%.
However, apart from Ganchar, there are at least two mainstream Indonesian politicians who are expected to compete for the presidency. The current Defence Minister Prabowo, who once ran for the Indonesian presidency twice, has a presidential election support rate of 18% to 22%, and the support rate of former Jakarta Special Governor Anis is between 16% and 18%. The support among the three main competitors is very close, showing the momentum of the “three pillars”.
According to a report by Indonesian “Compass” on April 28, polling agency Poltracking found that Prabowo’s support rate has risen significantly in the past three months. Poltracking said Prabowo had surpassed Ganchar in support.
Previously, Ganchar, the National Struggle Party, and the Jokowi government held a boycott attitude towards Israel’s participation in the U20 World Cup out of support for Palestine. This incident caused Indonesia to lose its qualification to host the U20 World Cup. Shadowing the Indonesian football scene dealt a further blow. Public opinion believes that this has significantly affected Ganchar’s approval rating. Another analyst believes that as Megawati turns to support Ganchar for the presidency, the latter’s approval rate is expected to rebound.