Hasto: Puan Maharani Will Meet With AHY For Dialogue

PDI-P General Chair Megawati Soekarnoputri (right) is running accompanied by PDI-P DPP Chair Puan Maharani (left) and Prananda Prabowo (medium) (photo: dock)

JAKARTA - PDI-P Secretary General Hasto Kristiyanto announced that the chairman of the PDI-P DPP, Puan Maharani, will hold a meeting with the Chairman of the Democratic Party, Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono (AHY).

"Later, Mbak Puan will meet with Mas AHY to have a dialogue," said Hasto to reporters in Tanjung Priok, Jakarta, Saturday, June 10.

Hasto emphasized that the PDI-P still respects political ethics, especially in relations with political parties that have formed cooperation with other parties.

The Democratic Party has established political cooperation with the NasDem Party and PKS. Therefore, Hasto explained that the communication between Puan Maharani and AHY would respect the cooperation that has been established between the Democratic Party and other parties. "We respect that. However, dialogue is important," said Hasto.

Previously, Puan Maharani had mentioned several names that could potentially become vice presidential candidates from the PDI-P. Several names were included in consideration, including Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Mahfud MD, Minister of SOEs Erick Thohir, Governor of West Java Ridwan Kamil, Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy Sandiaga Uno, Chairman of the Democratic Party Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono (AHY), and Chairman of the Golkar Party Airlangga Hartarto.

Although the situation has the potential to heat up with dialogue and political communication, the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Democratic Party's DPP Membership and Cadreization Organization, Herman Khaeron, emphasized that the Democratic Party remains in the Coalition for Amendments to Unity (KPP) which carries Anies Baswedan as a presidential candidate in the 2024 Presidential Election.

"Nevertheless, it is necessary to ensure that based on political considerations and ethics, until now the Democrats remain with the Coalition for Change, together with NasDem, PKS," he said.

According to the schedule set by the General Elections Commission (KPU) of the Republic of Indonesia, registration of presidential and vice presidential candidates will start from 19 October to 25 November 2023.

Based on Law Number 7 of 2017 concerning General 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.