Regarding The Announcement Of The Vice Presidential Candidate, AHY: Time To Become The Most Valuable Resource

AHY (Photo: Doc. Antara)

JAKARTA - Chairman of the DPP Democratic Party Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono (AHY) opened his voice about the announcement of the future vice presidential candidate (cawapres). According to him, time is the most valuable resource.

However, he explained that the Coalition for Change, which consists of the Democratic Party, NasDem, and PKS, has submitted the authority to announce the prospective vice presidential candidate (candidate) to their presidential candidate, Anies Baswedan.

"Me and friends of the Democratic Party from the start were among the most trying to convince that it was the most valuable resource or resources for the Coalition of Change, for those who considered him a new challenger, the underdog," the Democratic Party chairman quoted Antara as saying.

On the same occasion, he conveyed that the Coalition for Change, which currently carries Anies Baswedan as a candidate for presidential candidate, certainly needs time to consolidate the victory considering that the presidential election (pilpres) is scheduled to take place on February 14, 2024.

"What is clear is that they (the supporters of the Coalition for Change, ed.) need time to work, fight, and prove themselves. Well, here I say that time was very important," AHY said in response to reporters' questions during a press conference.

Therefore, he suggested and provided various inputs to the prospective presidential candidate for the Change Coalition not to wait too long to announce the name of the prospective vice presidential candidate who accompanies Anies Baswedan for the 2024 Presidential Election (Pilpres).

"That's what we suggested from the start, we provided suggestions, let alone what we have been waiting for, we are ready. Let's welcome this change, when many people here and there are waiting for it," he said.

He stressed that Democrats do not have any obstacles to hastening the announcement of the vice presidential candidate.

"I wish (I hope) can answer that more with certainty, but not all of it is in our control. We have a mechanism, respect, between parties have their respective sovereignty, have a mechanism that must be respected, but in the end we remind and at the same time encourage our presidential candidates to convey this directly to the public," said AHY.

The candidate for the Coalition for Change Anies Baswedan at the Apex National Working Meeting in Makassar, South Sulawesi, on Thursday (13/7), said he could not announce the prospective vice presidential candidate who would accompany him for the 2024 presidential election. "Later it will be announced," said Anies.

Registration for presidential and vice presidential candidates is scheduled to take place from 19 October 2023 to 25 November 2023.

Law Number 7 of 2017 concerning Elections (UU Pemilu) regulates that pairs of presidential and vice presidential candidates are proposed by political parties or coalitions of political parties participating in elections that meet the requirements for obtaining seats of at least 20 percent of the total 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 support from the Indonesian House of Representatives. 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.