Golkar Party has named businessman Jusuf Hamka, also known as Babah Alun, as their candidate for Deputy Jakarta Governorship, alongside Kaesang Pangarep, Chairman of the Indonesian Solidarity Party (PSI), in the upcoming Jakarta gubernatorial election.
This proposal is contingent on the decision of Kaesang, the youngest son of President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, to run for the Jakarta governorship.
Golkar Party Chairman Airlangga Hartarto highlighted Jusuf Hamka’s diverse skills, making him a suitable leader for Jakarta. The decision to nominate Babah Alun is based on the need for alternative policy approaches to address the city’s challenges, particularly traffic congestion.
“Should Mas Kaesang choose to run in Jakarta, I have prepared a Golkar cadre with extensive experience in infrastructure, namely Babah Alun,” Airlangga said at the Golkar Party Headquarters in West Jakarta on Thursday, July 11, 2024.
Airlangga emphasized that solving Jakarta’s traffic woes, stemming from limited infrastructure, requires leaders with expertise and vision. Jakarta’s rapid urbanization and vehicle growth have outpaced infrastructure development.
Golkar has not yet formally proposed the Kaesang-Jusuf Hamka ticket to the Greater Indonesia Coalition (KIM), an alliance supporting the presidential bid of Prabowo Subianto and Gibran Rakabuming Raka.
KIM includes parties like Gerindra, Golkar, the Democratic Party, and the National Mandate Party (PAN), among others. This coalition aims to extend their cooperation into the 2024 regional elections.
“We are not rushing and need to discuss with KIM,” Airlangga added.
Jusuf Hamka expressed surprise at Golkar’s decision, stating that he only recently received the directive to potentially pair with Kaesang.
Meanwhile, Kaesang Pangarep said that Golkar’s proposal is still under consideration, pending further survey trends. He noted that Anies Baswedan remains a strong contender in the Jakarta gubernatorial race.
“There’s still time before registration closes on August 29. Politics, especially in Jakarta, remains dynamic. Let’s wait until the deadline,” Kaesang said.
Kaesang’s indecision partly stems from high political interest in his potential candidacy in Central Java, where recent surveys show his strong electability.
“I have high electability, which is promising,” he noted, thanking political parties that support his gubernatorial bid in Central Java with Central Java Police Chief Inspector General Ahmad Luthfi.
Gerindra previously suggested pairing Kaesang and Ahmad Luthfi for the Central Java election. “Thank you to Gerindra for opening the possibility of partnering with Mr. Ahmad Luthfi. But again, it’s still 49 days away. Let’s wait,” said Kaesang.
A recent survey by Indikator Politik Indonesia identified Kaesang as a top contender for Central Java’s gubernatorial race, with 17.7 percent of respondents’ support, followed by Ahmad Luthfi with 15.6 percent.
The survey, conducted face-to-face from June 10-17, 2024, involved 800 respondents. Kaesang’s popularity is attributed to his political family background, while Ahmad Luthfi is valued for his perceived decisiveness and authority.
In pairing simulations, Kaesang and Ahmad Luthfi led with 41.1 percent against other potential candidates, highlighting Kaesang’s strong recognition, partly due to his father’s prominent political standing.
Indikator Politik Indonesia Executive Director Burhanuddin Muhtadi noted that Kaesang’s popularity is significantly influenced by President Jokowi’s high approval rating in Central Java. However, he cautioned that Kaesang’s lead is not secure, as many support him primarily due to his father’s reputation.
