PKB Waits For Marzuki Mustamar's Readiness To Be Promoted As A Competitor For Khofifah In The East Java Gubernatorial Election

Chairman of the Regional Head Elections of the National Awakening Party (PKB) Abdul Halim Iskandar/PHOTO: Diah Ayu-VOI

JAKARTA - Chairman of the Regional Head Election of the National Awakening Party (PKB) Abdul Halim Iskandar said his party was waiting for the readiness of the former Chairman of the East Java Nahdlatul Ulama Regional Management (PWNU) Marzuki Mustamar to be promoted in the 2024 gubernatorial election in East Java Province.

PKB has expressed its desire to carry Marzuki to become a candidate for Governor of East Java (Jatim) and compete with Khofifah Indar Parawansa who has asked for support from a number of parties.

"PKB cannot claim that today Kiai Marzuki is willing and ready. If the PKB is ready, the aspirations are ready, but we will wait for the final touch," said Halim at the PKB DPP office, Central Jakarta, Wednesday, May 29.

Halim said that currently Marzuki is still traveling to meet the community to accommodate their aspirations. Halim claimed that many East Java residents had asked Marzuki to be carried by PKB.

However, Halim reiterated that the decision to nominate regional head candidates in East Java by PKB depended on Marzuki's willingness. After agreeing, then PKB will find out who is the right person to be promoted as a deputy governor candidate.

"Even though we are ready, Kiai Marzuki said, 'wah, don't', of course we will not force it, because there are also extraordinary figures and icons of NU East Java who are increasingly popular after being dismissed by PBNU. So, the scrolling of aspirations turned out to be one of the impacts," he explained.

Previously, Deputy Secretary General of the PKB DPP Syaiful Huda said his party had agreed with the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) to form a coalition in the 2024 East Java Pilkada. Marzuki is the main candidate to be promoted by PKB-PKS.

"PKS friends agreed to build a coalition, but communicated with PKB, we saw maybe a week, two weeks, this," said Huda at the Parliament Complex, Senayan, Jakarta, Tuesday, May 21.

If PKB and PKS will form a coalition, the candidate he will carry will face the incumbent pair Khofifah Indar Parawansa-Emil Elestianto Dardak who will run again in the 2024 East Java Pilkada.