Gerindra Says There Has Been No Talk About Gibran Accompanying Prabowo In The 2024 Presidential Election

JAKARTA - The daily chairman of the Gerindra Party DPP, Sufmi Dasco Ahmad, said that there had been no internal discussion in his party regarding the possibility of the Mayor of Surakarta, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, accompanying the General Chairperson of the Gerindra Party, Prabowo Subianto, in the 2024 presidential election.

"In us (Gerindra Party) there has been no discussion about it," Dasco said as quoted by ANTARA, Wednesday, May 24.

This was conveyed in response to public talks regarding Gibran's closeness to Prabowo, who had sparked since the meeting of the two political figures in Angkringan Omah Semar, Jajar Village, Laweyan District, Surakarta City, Central Java, Friday (19/5) night.

However, according to Dasco, there is no prohibition against juxtaposing certain figures as candidates for vice president (cawapres) as long as they do not violate or violate the applicable laws and regulations.

Last March, the Constitutional Court (MK) received a request for a judicial review submitted by the Indonesian Solidarity Party (PSI) regarding the requirement for a minimum age limit for presidential and vice presidential candidates is 40 years as stipulated in Article 169 letter (q) of Law Number 7 of 2017 concerning Elections.

"Well, the dynamics that exist in the community at this time are several names, including earlier it was conveyed by Mas Gibran, and earlier if the question was a judicial review, we'll see what the results will be," he said.

Dasco also emphasized that Prabowo and the General Chair of the National Awakening Party (PKB) Muhaimin Iskandar decided that the presidential candidate would be decided by Prabowo and the General Chairperson of the National Awakening Party (PKB), as agreed on the political cooperation between the two parties.

"We have repeatedly conveyed that there has been an agreement or a political cooperation contract between Gerindra and PKB, where then the presidential and vice presidential candidates were determined by Pak Prabowo and Pak Muhaimin," he said.

Including, he continued, if Muhaimin intends to duet to accompany Prabowo in the 2024 presidential election, then talks must be held by both parties to make a joint decision.

"What Mr. Muhaimin said, please convey it to Mr. Prabowo, right, that later in the media it was stated that Mr. Muhaimin was willing to become Mr. Prabowo's vice presidential candidate, of course, the discussions must also be carried out to include the proposal," he said.

Previously, Friday (19/5), Prabowo held a meeting with Surakarta Mayor Gibran Rakabuming Raka for about an hour behind closed doors which then continued to meet with 15 Gibran volunteer groups openly.

Prabowo was surprised that the Mayor of Surakarta Gibran Rakabuming Raka and 15 volunteer groups from Central Java and East Java who supported him to run for Presidential Candidate 2024.

"We together with 15 volunteers from the Mayor of Surakarta, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, are both committed to wanting Indonesia to be strong, safe and prosperous," said Prabowo.

Based on the schedule set by the General Election Commission (KPU) of the Republic of Indonesia, the registration of prospective presidential and vice presidential candidates is scheduled from 19 October to 25 November 2023.

As regulated in Law Number 7 of 2017 concerning General Elections (UU Pemilu), pairs of presidential and vice presidential candidates are proposed by political parties or coalitions of political parties participating in the election who meet the requirements for obtaining seats of at least 20 percent of the total number of seats in the DPR or obtaining 25 percent of valid votes nationally in the previous election for members of the DPR.

Currently, there are 575 seats in parliament so that pairs of presidential and vice presidential candidates in the 2024 presidential election must have at least 115 seats in the DPR RI. In addition, candidate pairs can also be promoted by political parties or a combination of political parties participating in the 2019 Election with a total valid vote acquisition of at least 34,992,703 votes.