Secretary General Of PAN Denies Bima Arya's Resignation At The West Java Gubernatorial Election Contest Due To Party Decision

Bima Arya Sugiarto when delivering his setback from the 2024 West Java gubernatorial election. (ANTARA/Shabrina Zakaria)

Secretary General of the National Mandate Party (PAN), Eddy Soeparno, denied the resignation of the former Mayor of Bogor as well as Chairman of the PAN DPP, Bima Arya Sugiarto, from the 2024 West Java Regional Head Election (Pilkada) contestation due to party decisions. Eddy emphasized that the PAN decision was to support the cagub and cawagub pairs set by the Advanced Indonesia Coalition (KIM). Both in the Jakarta Pilkada and in West Java. "Later, the decision will be who will be appointed as the cagub, who is the cawagub, and it will be decided by the general chairmen at KIM, we will follow it later. Now that's the party's decision," Eddy told reporters, Thursday, August 8. "Well, perhaps by reading the party's decision, Kang Bima is of the view that after it is good not to continue, his work is an effort for the West Java gubernatorial election," he continued. It is known that the Gerindra Party previously mentioned that KIM decided to carry Dedi Mulyadi as a Candidate for Governor of West Java. "That's because there was an announcement that from Gerindra's friends, that later in West Java Golkar and Gerindra would then jointly propose Cagub and Cawagub," said Eddy. However, Eddy dismissed Bima Arya's cancellation in the West Java Pilkada because KIM had appointed Ridwan Kamil as Cagub Jakarta and Dedi Mulyadi as Cagub West Java. "Nothing because (RK and Dedi, ed), it is a collective decision made by the general chairman of the Forward Indonesia Coalition," he said. When asked why Bima Arya resigned because he would become minister of the Prabowo-Gibran government, Eddy was reluctant to comment. According to him, the issue of the cabinet minister will be discussed together internally by PAN. "Look, later we will sit together, with party leaders, together with Kang Bima, we will sit down together, we will formulate about what the next steps are for our cadres. Not only Kang Bima but also other cadres, the best cadres," he concluded. Previously, the former Mayor of Bogor for two terms as well as the Chairman of the PAN DPP, Bima Arya Sugiarto, officially resigned from the 2024 Pilkada contestation, after KIM brought Dedi Mulyadi as a Candidate for Governor of West Java. Bima Arya stated, because his party is part of KIM, he will obey the party's decision. Bima is also ready to follow the party's decision by supporting the former Regent of Purwakarta for two terms, Dedi Mulyadi, to contest the West Java Pilkada. "The General Chair conveyed the decision from the National Mandate Party as a member of the Advanced Indonesia Coalition which fully supports Kang Dedi Mulyadi's candidacy as a Candidate for Governor of West Java," said Bima Arya, Wednesday, August 7.

"Of course from the start I have said that if the party ordered me to move, if I go forward I go forward, if I go right to the right I go to the right. But if the party asks not to continue, I am sami'na wa ato'na hear obey and follow the decision of the party leadership," he added.