Opportunities Always Exist, Airlangga Says He Can Pair With Zulkifli Hasan In The 2024 General Election

General Chairperson of the Golkar Party DPP Airlangga Hartarto delivered his remarks at the opening of the Golkar Party National Working Meeting in 2023

JAKARTA - Golkar Party Chairman Airlangga Hartarto stated that there is still a chance to partner with the Chairman of the National Mandate Party (PAN) Zulkifli Hasan, as a presidential and vice presidential candidate in the 2024 election. "There is always a possibility," he said at the Golkar DPP Office, Jakarta, Antara, Sunday, June 4. This was conveyed by Airlangga when asked about the possibility of the Golkar and PAN coalitions, which could carry one pair of presidential/vice-presidential candidates. Currently, Golkar, PAN and the United Development Party (PPP) are still members of the United Indonesia Coalition (KIB). Although, PPP has declared Ganjar Pranowo as a presidential candidate, following the PDI-P. "The Coalition (KIB) is still communicating, even last night we communicated with Mr. Zulhas, so communication remains," said Airlangga asserted. Regarding KIB's decision, he said, the coalition would still decide on time. In addition, both Golkar and KIB continue to communicate with other political parties. To note, registration for presidential and vice-presidential candidates is scheduled for October 19 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 valid votes nationally 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 is also possible that the candidate pairs can be 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.