Airlangga Denies Golkar Munaslub To Determine A New Presidential Candidate, Replaces Himself

Golkar Chairman Airlangga Hartanto (ANTARA)

JAKARTA - The General Chairperson (Ketum) of the Golkar Party, Airlangga Hartarto, said that there is no plan for an extraordinary national deliberation (munaslub) of his party to determine a new figure as a candidate for president and vice president of the party bearing the banyan symbol. "No, the agenda is not that," said Airlangga in the presidential palace, Jakarta, quoted by ANTARA Monday, July 10. According to Airlangga, the Golkar Party's Expert Council Meeting which was held on Sunday (9/7) did not discuss plans to replace itself as a presidential candidate in the 2024 election and as the General Chair of Golkar.Airlangga emphasized the internal Golkar solid. The meeting of the Expert Council on Sunday night, he said, was not the party's highest forum. "The highest forum of the National Working Meeting (national working meeting), rapim (national meeting), and munas (national meeting)," said Airlangga. Furthermore, Airlangga said that Golkar has not yet determined his political direction with the United Indonesia Coalition (KIB). "Wait, be patient, patiently waiting," he said. KIB consists of Golkar, the United Development Party (PPP), and the National Mandate Party (PAN). Since it was formed in mid-2022, KIB has not yet determined its political direction in the 2024 General Election. In fact, one member of KIB, namely PPP decided to support Ganjar Pranowo, the presidential candidate who is promoted by PDIP (PDIP). Meanwhile, the registration of the presidential candidate (candidate) and vice presidential candidate (candidate) is scheduled for October 19 to November 25, 2023.

Based on Law Number 7 of 2017 concerning the Election of pairs of presidential and vice presidential candidates, a political party or coalition of political parties participating in the election that meet the requirements for obtaining seats of at least 20 percent of the total seats in the DPR, or obtaining 25 percent of the nationally valid votes in the previous election of 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. It is also possible that candidate pairs are promoted by political parties or coalition parties participating in the 2019 Election with a total valid vote acquisition of at least 34,992,703 votes.