Aceh Democrat Chair Candidate Targets 2 DPR RI Seats in 2029

Nurdiansyah Alasta, Treasurer of the Aceh Democratic Party Regional Board and Chair of Commission IV of the Aceh House of Representatives, has declared his intention to run for Chairman of the Aceh Democratic Party Regional Board at the Regional Conference this August. The announcement was made after he received support from both internal and external circles of the party led by Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono. Nurdiansyah was born into a Democratic Party family; his late father, H. Jamidin Hamdani, was the Chair of the Southeast Aceh Democratic Party Branch Board from 2002 to 2017 and a member of the Aceh Parliament. ‘I resigned from the Civil Service to run as a candidate for the Aceh Parliament in the 2019 Election with the intention of continuing the struggle and ideals of my parents, who loved Mr SBY and the Democratic Party so much,’ said Nurdiansyah. Nurdiansyah claims to have secured broad support from within the party and externally. This support includes verbal backing from the Secretary General of the Democratic Party Central Board for the 2020-2025 period, T. Riefky Harsya, in front of 18 Branch Board Chairs, as well as written support from 18 of the 23 Branch Board Chairs across Aceh. He has also received support from two Democratic Party wing organisations in Aceh, namely IMDI and BMI. Outside the party, moral support has also come from several important Acehnese figures, including Aceh Governor H. Muzakir Manaf, also known as Mualem, who is the General Chair of the Aceh Party Central Board, Aceh Parliament Speaker Zulfadhli, and Abu Paya Pasi, the Grand Imam of Baiturrahman Grand Mosque. This external support from community leaders is expected to be a strong asset for Nurdiansyah in growing the Democratic Party in Aceh. ‘This internal and community leader support shares the same spirit of togetherness in growing the party and building Aceh in the future,’ said Nurdiansyah. Nurdiansyah is reportedly set to compete against another candidate in the Aceh Democratic Party Regional Conference this August, namely Sayuti Abu Bakar, a former DPR RI candidate from the National Awakening Party who failed to win a seat in the 2019 Legislative Election. Sayuti, who was once secretary of the Nangroe Aceh Party High Council, currently serves as the Mayor of Lhokseumawe.