JAKARTA - The NasDem Party will hold a convention to look for presidential candidates in the 2024 elections. The convention is conducted openly and is not limited to party cadres. The convention process will be carried out in stages until one person is netted.
"The convention will be held 2 years before the election. So, if the 2024 election will be held in 2022, the convention of the presidential and vice presidential candidates will be held in 2022," said Chairman of the Steering Committee of Congress II Nasdem Sugeng Suparwoto at Jiexpo Kemayoran, Central Jakarta, Monday, November 11, 2019.
The NasDem Party is aware that there is a threshold that has the potential to fail this convention system. Because, according to the rules, the presidential candidate must be supported by a party or coalition of parties with a certain threshold. But they are sure that this convention can find candidates that other parties can accept.
"All have constitutional rights to become national leaders. There will be an election mechanism such as a public test, a test of intellectualism, integrity, and so on," said Sugeng.
Sugeng denied that the party considered this convention running out of cadres who could become candidates for the presidential election in 2024. Moreover, in several democratic events, including regional elections, this party has picked up figures who are not cadres to fight. He said, the convention was an event to find the best leaders for the nation.
"The party provides space for anyone with the acceptability and capability to lead. It does not mean that we are not confident, in fact we are very confident," he said.
Median political observer Rico Marbun said that the implementation of the convention signifies a party's awareness of the electability of their cadres who are not sufficient to fight in the election.
However, furthermore, Rico considered, the efforts at the convention carried out by the NasDem Party had two objectives. First, find out who the best character is. And second, a convention can be used as a performance arena, or a show to raise the name of a party and its candidates.
"If Nasdem holds a convention where the voting rights of candidates are obtained from NasDem constituents like those used in the United States, this will look interesting," he said.
If you have this, he continued, the convention can be used as an arena to gain votes in the Legislative Election. When the convention is successful, this will become a consideration for other parties to join the NasDem Party. Thus, the problem of presidential candidate thresholds can easily be met.
"Just make an advertisement first, about how to support other parties to join the coalition, just think about it later. This is Nasdem's step to ensure its electability increases first," said Rico.
The Democrat Party, as the party that first held the presidential candidate convention in Indonesia, supports the NasDem Party's move. Deputy Chairman of the Democrat Party, Syarief Hasan, hopes that the NasDem Party convention can run successfully.
"What is clear is that this was done by the Democrat Party. And at that time it did not match the party's expectations," he said.
"But it's okay. What the Democratic Party has done and then done by other friends, we are even grateful if it goes well," added Syarief.
This convention system was implemented by the Democrat Party ahead of the 2014 Election. The Democratic Party convention was held after its general chairman, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, led the country for two terms.
There were ten candidates who joined the convention at that time. As a result, Dahlan Iskan came out as champion. However, Dahlan Iskan did not join the Democrat Party as a presidential candidate. This is because the Democrat Party needs another party to carry a presidential candidate. At that time, the threshold for carrying a presidential candidate was 20 percent of the votes in parliament. The Democrat Party cannot meet this target.
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