Considered Ideal By KIB, Observer: The Airlangga-Ganjar Pair Is Interesting To Prove

Coordinating Minister Airlangga Hartarto (left) meets Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo at the Grebeg Apem Yaaqowiyyu Kyai Ageng Gribig event in Klaten, September 2021. (Central Java Provincial Government Doc)

JAKARTA - The United Indonesia Coalition (KIB) has failed to announce candidates for president (candidate) and vice president (cawapres) even though Golkar, PAN and PPP have solidly declared together in the upcoming 2024 presidential election.

Executive Director of the Institute of Democracy & Strategic Affairs (Indostrategic) Ahmad Khoirul Umam considered KIB ideal if it carried the Airlangga Hartarto-Ganjar Pranowo pair in the five-year democracy party.

According to him, the results of the survey that the Airlangga-Ganjar pair have the potential to win the 2024 presidential election are interesting to prove. Both also already have the capital of the bearer party.

"The simulation results of the Airlangga-Ganjar pair, which are considered to be potentially superior, are certainly interesting to prove. Both of them can use the United Indonesia Coalition (KIB) carriage as a political vehicle to make it happen," said Umam in Jakarta, Thursday, July 21.

As the results of a survey entitled "The Midpoint of Indonesian Democracy Towards the 2024 Election" which was released by Roots of Grass Strategic Consulting (ARSC) recently. The names of the couples who won the highest electability were written as Airlangga-Ganjar.

The survey results tested the potential electability of candidate figures based on simulations of three pairs of presidential or vice presidential candidates, the result was that the Airlangga-Ganjar Pranowo pair in the first place was the most chosen by many respondents. Followed by Prabowo Subianto-Muhaimin Iskandar and then Puan Maharani-Anies Baswedan.

Furthermore, the lecturer in Political Science and International Studies at Paramadina University said that there was a need for KIB communication with PDIP to win the pair.

According to Umam, the composition of Airlangga-Ganjar implies that PDIP does not propose Ganjar in the 2024 contest. Because according to him, PDIP as the party winning the 2019 General Election should be at the forefront by proposing the position of presidential candidate from within the party.

"On the other hand, the composition of Airlangga-Ganjar also means that PDIP will not carry Ganjar. Because it is widely understood that PDIP does not want to be 'secondary'," he said.

Umam assessed that the candidacy of the Airlangga-Ganjar pair could be realized on the condition that PDIP did not carry Ganjar in the 2024 presidential election. Because Ganjar was considered to represent the face of the PDIP.

"In other words, the Airlangga-Ganjar carriage can be realized when it is clear that PDIP will carry another name besides Ganjar, which incidentally is considered more representative of stronger political roots, has a real contribution to the party, and understands the spirit of PDIP's struggle better," he said. Umam.

Meanwhile, Chairman of the National Cadre Association, Dimas Oky Nugroho, assessed that the Airlangga-Ganjar pair would strengthen each other. In particular, from the perspective of the economy. "People's perception of the economy in Indonesia is positive, Airlangga as the coordinating minister gets the incentive," Dimas told reporters, Thursday, July 21.

While Ganjar, continued Oky, his popularity and electability shot up in various surveys, including a survey conducted by ARSC. This capital, he said, made Ganjar considered capable of partnering with anyone, both as a presidential candidate and a vice presidential candidate.

According to Dimas, the results of the survey of the combination of presidential and vice presidential candidates who are considered ideal by the public are the figure of the general chairman or the leader of a political party and a popular figure.

“From there we make a simulation, who are the General Chairmen who want to come forward and figures who have popularity. We meet the names and contrast them with the political data," said Dimas.

"And then came the names of the chairman of Golkar, Airlangga Hartarto, the chairman of Gerindra, Prabowo Subianto, the chairman of the PKB Muhaimin Iskandar, the chairman of PAN Zulkifli Hasan and the chairman of the Democrats, Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono. While the popular figures were Ganjar Pranowo, Anies Baswedan, Erick Thohir, Ridwan Kamil and Mrs Maharani," he added.

Dimas added that nearly 40 percent of the survey respondents were young people. In their choice, he said, their wishes and hopes were implied in the upcoming 2024 election.

“In crisis and post-crisis situations, a nation must take harmony, seek balance. We lose as a nation if we are caught in a political contestation. That the election is not looking for differences, but similarities," he said.