Regarding The 2024 Presidential Candidate, PDIP: Not Just Judging From The Survey Results

PDIP Secretary General Hasto Kristiyanto (Photo: ANTARA)

JAKARTA - Secretary General of the PDI-P DPP Hasto Kristiyanto considers that it is still too early to discuss the name of the candidate for the leader who will be carried in the upcoming 2024 presidential election (Pilpres). Moreover, he said, the decision cannot be based solely on survey results.

The PDI-P, said Hasto, also has a mechanism for selecting and each candidate for leadership who takes part in the contestation must go through community leadership regeneration, plunge into the midst of the people, and after going through various leadership tests. Especially when faced with making decisions that are difficult, bitter, and risky, but good for the future of the nation and state.

Apart from this, according to Hasto, Megawati Soekarnoputri made the decision to choose the presidential and vice-presidential candidates, as happened in 2014 and 2019.

"The benchmark for a leader of a nation and state is not solely based on surveys," said Hasto on the sidelines of a mass circumcision at the PDIP DPP Office in Central Jakarta, Saturday, October 23.

According to Harto, many experiences are wrong when making decisions to choose candidates for president or vice president based solely on survey results.

For example, said Hasto, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who in the survey before the presidential election was very high, but at this time the legacy of his leadership is being questioned.

"This is a political education for us that we are looking for a leader who dares to take responsibility, even though the decision is bitter. We are not looking for a leader who pleases all parties, but who has responsibility for the future of the nation and state," he said.

Hasto assessed that a head of state must be responsible for the country and its people in the future. Therefore, presidential candidates must also dare to appear to face international challenges, such as tensions in the South China Sea, the crisis in the Middle East, then the burden of fiscal policy on debt due to the accumulation of foreign loans in the past, and also due to the pandemic.

"It's all the responsibility of future leaders. Leaders must be prepared as well as possible," he explained.

In addition, according to Hasto, leaders must also be firm in the ideology of Pancasila. Therefore, according to him, the affairs of presidential and vice presidential candidates should be chosen with careful consideration.

"Think about it through contemplation, looking at the candidate's track record, personality, technocratic abilities and others. But for sure, Mrs. Megawati is always in dialogue and looking for a leader who is in accordance with the will of the people," he said.