Is It Feasible to Implement Party Cadre Requirements for Presidential Candidates in Indonesia's Political System?

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - The Corruption Eradication Commission’s (KPK) proposal to require cadre status for prospective presidential/vice-presidential and regional head candidates is seen as part of efforts to reform political recruitment design in Indonesia.

On one hand, the idea is considered capable of strengthening the institutionalisation of political parties.

On the other hand, Indonesia’s political system, based on direct general elections (elections) and open competition, is deemed not fully conducive to strictly applying such requirements.

According to him, there are at least three typologies of political parties in viewing the relationship between cadre development and presidential nominations.

First, said Adi, are parties that heavily rely on their general chairman in presidential and vice-presidential nominations.

In this model, the figure of the general chairman becomes the central political force as well as the main candidate.

He cited the Great Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra), the National Awakening Party (PKB), and the Democrat Party as examples.

These three parties are seen as tending to push their general chairmen to contest in the presidential election.

It is known that since 2009, Prabowo Subianto has repeatedly contested in the presidential election, either as a presidential candidate or vice-presidential candidate.

He once ran as a vice-presidential candidate alongside Megawati Soekarnoputri, and several times as a presidential candidate with various partners.

Meanwhile, PKB General Chairman Abdul Muhaimin Iskandar or Cak Imin also ran as a vice-presidential candidate in the 2024 Election alongside Anies Baswedan.

The Democrat Party is said to have a strong tendency to promote Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono (AHY) as the main figure in national political contests.

The second category, continued Adi, involves parties that do not always make the general chairman the main candidate but still rely on internal cadres for national contests.

He cited the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), which in the 2014 Election nominated Joko Widodo, then Governor of DKI Jakarta, as a presidential candidate.

PDI-P also later nominated Ganjar Pranowo, who was then Governor of Central Java, as a presidential candidate in the 2024 Presidential Election.

According to Adi, a similar pattern is seen in the National Mandate Party (PAN), which does not always nominate its general chairman as the main candidate, and on some occasions has also supported figures outside the party’s cadres.

“PDI-P in several periods has put forward figures like Jokowi and Ganjar, even though Megawati has also run as a presidential candidate. PAN has also nominated Hatta Rajasa as a presidential candidate and has put forward non-PAN cadres,” said Adi.

Meanwhile, the third category consists of parties that more frequently nominate figures outside their internal structure.

For example, the National Democratic Party (NasDem) and the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS).

Adi assessed that both parties do not always nominate presidential candidates from the ranks of general chairmen or internal party cadres in presidential election contests.

“The third category, political parties that never nominate their general chairman to run in the presidential election, and only nominate non-cadres like NasDem and PKS,” he said.

Nevertheless, Adi opined that there is no single model that is absolutely the most ideal in Indonesia’s political system.

“The best is those who are able to win the fight in the presidential election,” he said.