Mahfud MD Affirms It's Not Time To Enter The Vice Presidential Exchange

Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs (Menko Polhukam) Mahfud MD emphasized that it is not yet time to enter the arena for the prospective vice presidential candidate (cawapres) for the 2024 General Election (Pemilu).

Mahfud MD in his statement in Surabaya, Sunday, said that the names in the prospective vice presidential market that have been rolling in the community are currently still under the authority of political parties.

"That's the game, the ball is still in the political party, now it's a matter for the community and later we'll meet there. We haven't entered the arena yet," he said.

Mahfud MD's statement delivered on the sidelines of the gathering and halalbihalal at the Grahadi State Building, Surabaya, Saturday (29/4) night, followed recently that it was widely reported, and was mentioned by many political observers as one of the vice presidential candidates who was considered potential in the 2024 Presidential Election.

Not long ago at his residence, the Kuningan Minister complex, Jakarta, welcomed Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto in a closed meeting.

Prabowo, who is also the General Chair of the Gerindra Party, will certainly run again in the 2024 presidential election. His meeting with the Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Mahfud MD is reportedly looking for a vice presidential partner to accompany him.

Mahfud argued that the meeting with Prabowo was in the context of Eid al-Fitr gathering.

"I was invited to give a lecture at his house in Hambalang. There was no application to become a vice presidential candidate," he said.

At this time, Mahfud was reluctant to respond to questions related to his readiness to become a vice presidential candidate.

"I'm not saying I'm ready or not ready. That's later or not. I'll talk later when it's concrete," he said.

Meanwhile, Mahfud MD emphasized that he was still focused on working as Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs.

As Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs, Mahfud is currently trying to evacuate all Indonesian citizens (WNI) who are still in the Sudanese state military conflict area.

"As of today, 1,100 Indonesian citizens have been evacuated from Sudan. There are several Indonesian citizens who have not been evacuated because the location is far or difficult to reach," he said.

In addition, Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Mahfud MD is currently formulating strategic steps to eradicate armed criminal groups (KKB) in Papua.

"Later we will announce the strategic handling of the KKB," he said.

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.