Observer: Jokowi's Figure Becomes A Key Variable In The Discourse Of The Great Coalition Towards The 2024 Presidential Election

JAKARTA - Political observer from the Catholic University Widya Mandira (Unwira) Kupang Pangelah Rajamuda Bataona assesses that the figure of Indonesian President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) is a key variable in the discourse of a grand coalition of political parties (political parties) towards the 2024 presidential election.

"The key variable of the discourse on the idea of a grand coalition between KIR and KIB and also with the PDI-P is the figure of Jokowi because of his political social power, namely his self-image and the level of people's love for him who is very high," said Rajamuda Bataona in Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara, quoted from Antara, Saturday 8 April.

He said this was related to the influence of the figure of Joko Widodo in the affairs of the coalition of political parties to carry presidential candidates in the 2024 presidential election.

He said that President Jokowi's meeting with the general chairmen of supporting political parties, among others, Prabowo Subianto from Gerindra, Airlangga Hartato from Golkar, Muhaimin Iskandar from PKB, Zulkifli Hasan from PAN, and Mardiono as Acting Chairperson of PPP some time ago reflected Jokowi's strong influence in the real and determinant affairs of the 2024 presidential election.

The meeting, he said, was a political step that was not sudden, but something that had been designed for a long time and in this case the key variable of the coalition idea was Jokowi's figure.

He explained that Jokowi's figure was very influential on public perceptions because the level of public satisfaction (approval rating) was relatively very high.

This, he said, made many general chairmen of political parties want to meet and lower their respective egos to discuss cooperation in facing the 2024 presidential election.

"Because using Jokowi's image and his endorsement power will greatly facilitate winning affairs. This is in line with the will of the majority of people who like Jokowi," he said.

Persecuted to say that the majority of the public still misses Jokowi, meaning that the replacement for the president in 2024 must be a figure whose profile and performance are in line with Jokowi's values such as being close to the people, working hard, and not being discriminatory in development programs or understanding the concept of a central Indonesia.

As politicians, he said, the general chairmen of political parties looked observant in reading the direction of people's psychology.

"Because at this time people's psychology is very comfortable with Jokowi, so they also have to go there," he said.

When the big flow is the people still want figures who can continue Jokowi's work and leadership values, according to him, the political pragmatism that must be done is to find a coalition format that can produce the most rational agreement regarding the figure of a presidential candidate who is in accordance with the will of the people as well as what is associated as Jokowi's successor.