Vice President Ma'ruf: Please Young People Become Vice Presidential Candidates In The 2024 Presidential Election

Vice President Ma'ruf Amin delivered a statement to reporters accompanied by Spokesperson for Vice President Masduki Baidlowi and West Sumatra Governor Mahyeldi Ansharullah/ANTARA

PADANG - Vice President Ma'ruf Amin invites young people to become vice presidential candidates in the 2024 General Election. "If I have said, I am 80 (years old) now, tomorrow 81 (years old), I think it's too old, yes. Therefore, I think it's better for the young, the younger to be fresher," said Vice President Ma'ruf Amin at Padang State University, West Sumatra, Antara, Friday, May 5. Vice President Ma'ruf conveyed this when answering reporters' questions about the possibility of a political party proposing Ma'ruf Amin as a vice presidential candidate in the 2024 presidential election. "Yes, for me to look for the young, who are still many, are still ready to become vice president, 'I'm 5 years old, I'm old, after all, age must be calculated," said the Vice President. Vice President Ma'ruf also admitted that he felt that he had worked for 5 years and served the country. "However, that doesn't mean I quit. I continue to take part, not as a state official, not as vice president anymore, but that service never stops until it runs out. Stop it when we are called," added the Vice President. This means that even though he no longer answers as vice president, Ma'ruf Amin admits that he will still serve Indonesia. "So, it doesn't mean I stop serving, serve it without ending without stopping, and continue until the end of my life," said the Vice President. Currently, there are three names of presidential candidates that have emerged to participate in the 2024 Presidential Election (Pilpres), namely the Governor of Central Java Ganjar Pranowo who was promoted by the PDI-P and the United Development Party (PPP). Furthermore, former DKI Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan was declared by the NasDem Party, Democratic Party, and PKS. Finally, there is the name of the Minister of Defense who is also the General Chair of the Gerindra Party, Prabowo Subianto, proposed by the Gerindra Party, who is also in a coalition with the National Awakening Party (PKB). Indonesian President Jokowi in Lebaran 2023 has also mentioned the names of vice presidential candidates that have the potential to be paired with Ganjar Pranowo, namely Minister of SOEs Erick Thohir, Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy Sandiaga Uno, Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Mahfud MD, Governor of West Java Ridwan Kamil, Chairman of PKB Muhaimin Iskandar, Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto, to Minister of Defense Prabowo Subianto. Registration for presidential and vice presidential candidates is scheduled for October 19, 2023 to November 25, 2023. Based on Law Number 7 of 2017 concerning Elections (UU Pemilu), pairs of presidential and vice presidential candidates are proposed by political parties or coalitions of political parties participating in the election who meet the requirements for obtaining seats of at least 20 percent of the total seats in the DPR or obtaining 25 percent of the nationally valid votes in the previous election for members of the DPR. Currently, there are 575 seats in parliament so that the pairs of presidential and vice presidential candidates in the 2024 presidential election must have at least 115 seats in the DPR RI. It could also be that the candidate pairs are promoted by political parties or a combination of political parties participating in the 2019 Election with a total valid vote acquisition of at least 34,992,703 votes.