Electability Is Not The Only One, Golkar Believes In The Figure Of Ahmed Zaki Mentereng During The DKI Regional Head Election

Illustration. TPS location for the 2024 General Election. (ANTARA-Darwin Fatir-am)

JAKARTA - The Golkar Party is said to have determined to carry the chairman of the DKI Jakarta Golkar Regional Leadership Council (DPD) Ahmed Zaki Iskandar in the 2024 DKI Jakarta Pilkada. However, Secretary of the DKI Jakarta Regional Leadership Council (DPD) Basri Baco admitted that Zaki's electability in the Jakarta gubernatorial candidate market was still low. Public support for Zaki in several survey institutions is still less popular with other figures, such as Tri Rismaharini, Ridwan Kamil, Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, Anies Baswedan, and other names. "The results of the last survey are not too big," Baco told reporters, Sunday, April 28. However, Baco Pede Zaki can still compete with other candidates during the campaign stage until the election day for the 2024 Simultaneous Regional Head Elections. According to him, the determinant of the candidate victory in political contestation is not only based on the popularity of figures. Baco reflected on the 2017 Pilkada process. Where, in the results of a number of surveys before the voting, Anies Baswedan-Sandiaga Uno's electability was still inferior to Basuki Tjahaja Purnama-Djarot Saiiful Hidayat. However, Anies-Sandi who was elected as the leader of Jakarta for the 2017-2022 period. "So, electability or popularity can be done but in my opinion it is not the main thing, it is not the only determinant. Because the facts prove that the Anies era could have happened," said Baco. In addition, Zaki is considered by Golkar to have an advantage, namely having experience as a regional head, namely the Regent of Tangerang for two terms. Zaki also understands the Jakarta problem because he served as Chairman of the DKI Golkar DPD. "We have big hopes. Why? Experience exists, contribution exists. It's normal with DKI Jakarta. Five years leading Golkar DKI Jakarta, 10 years leading Tangerang as an area. Politics also understands compared to others," he explained. On the one hand, the chairman of the Golkar faction of the DKI Jakarta DPRD realized that they could not carry it without a coalition of parties. This is because the number of Golkar seats in the DKI DPRD is not enough to carry the candidate for governor and deputy governor. So, it is possible that Golkar will carry Zaki as a candidate for deputy governor by forming a coalition. What is clear is that the coalition political parties that most likely run with Golkar are no different from the coalition in the 2024 presidential election that carries Prabowo-Gibran. "Golkar is a party in the top 5, but we can't go forward alone. We only need 10 seats. At least 10-12 seats are needed. So we have to cooperate with 1 big party or 2 moderate parties," explained Baco.

"We are still going to coalition 02. If this alone is very enough. But does Gerindra have a candidate or not? We don't know. PAN has a candidate or not?" he continued.