Not PPP Conflict Or Gerindra's 'Temptation', KIB's Test Is In Determining Candidates For President/Vice President

United Indonesia Coalition aka KIB. (Antara)

JAKARTA - Executive Director of Voxpol Center Research and Consulting Pangi Syarwi Chaniago assessed that the cohesion of KIB will be tested in determining the 2024 presidential and vice presidential candidates.

According to him, KIB can propose internal cadres in the candidacy process for the 2024 presidential election. KIB can also consider taking a position as a presidential candidate or as a vice presidential candidate.

"This KIB can prepare its best cadres to become presidential candidates. This means that there is a tendency for KIB to use the ticket or the ticket is not torn up. But this ticket is used by the party itself by proposing its best cadre or general chairman or central figure. Is it positioning as a presidential candidate or positioning? as vice president," said Pangi, Thursday, September 22.

Even so, continued Pangi, KIB can also nominate candidates from external KIB. This will also strengthen KIB as an inclusive coalition by providing opportunities for figures outside of KIB who are not accommodated in political parties. Though the figure has a qualified popularity and electability.

"The second is that KIB will be able to accommodate potential people who don't have boarding passes, who don't have parties. He is an external figure but has good selling points, good electability, so KIB will be able to accommodate external figures to use this KIB boarding pass," he said.

Pangi admits that the candidacy process will indeed be a KIB test. This is because the selection of candidates will require a lot of adjustments to the political interests of the KIB member parties, namely Golkar, PPP, and PAN. This will greatly affect the cohesion of the coalition.

"The adhesive power of this coalition glue is actually in the candidacy. This is the question that will be tested. Did the KIB coalition break in the middle of the road? Will the KIB last until the end?

However, Pangi said, KIB can strengthen coalition cohesion by strengthening programmatic platforms, apart from the candidacy factor.

"So I see that the adhesive power is on the basis of candidacy but in fact, they can build adhesion not only with candidacy but programmatic preferences, performance platform links, then the common interests they can look for, which mutually benefit the three coalition parties for how to present their mission. ," he said.

Pangi added, the purpose of KIB is how to prepare the best candidates to be presented to the public. According to him, it is important to avoid the presidential election with only two pairs of candidates and prevent the polarization of identity politics and public division.

"So this is an extraordinary mission for KIB, it's just a matter of how they compile names of candidates who are worthy of selling and have a chance to win," he concluded.

Previously, the performances of the KIB coalition member parties had been hampered by internal PPP conflicts. However, it did not become protracted because Golkar and PAN invited PPP to resolve its internal problems so that they could immediately return to 2024.

Later, the togetherness of Golkar in KIB was 'tempted' by Gerindra. When Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto visited Coordinating Minister for the Economy Ailrangga Hartanto earlier this week, the meeting also opened up the possibility of Gerindra coalition with Golkar.

"I hold firmly to the principle that building our great nation requires mutual cooperation from all groups. Building this republic cannot be done alone, especially in small groups, we must work together for the sake of Indonesia," said Gerindra DPP Daily Chair Sufmi Dasco revealing the contents of the meeting. Prabowo and Airlangga in a written statement.