PDI-P sets target in local elections

M. Taufiqurrahman and Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Denpasar

The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) has changed the much criticized selection of candidates for regional executive posts, which in the past was determined by the central board.

Pramono Anung Wibowo, the newly elected PDI-P secretary- general, said over the weekend that the party had selected its candidates through a regional convention that reached out to the grass roots.

"The convention involved people from the lowest level of the party structure, which is the grass roots, up to regional offices. Therefore, the grass roots and the party elite will come to an agreement regarding eligible candidates," he told The Jakarta Post, adding that the central board's role had been reduced to confirming the nominations.

The PDI-P crashed to a defeat in both the legislative and presidential elections last year, largely due to the loss of trust among grassroots members, who were disappointed that the central board failed to heed their wishes.

The central board's intervention in the selection process of candidates for governorships in Jakarta, Central Java, Lampung and East Kalimantan are a few examples of the PDI-P elite's failure to accommodate aspirations from the grass roots.

Pramono said the new selection procedure would not only ensure democracy, but also make it easy for the party to determine eligible candidates.

The party has also set criteria for candidates, which takes into account their performance and track records.

"We encourage candidates who have been in office only for a first term to bid for reelection, provided that they are not involved in a legal case or have tainted images," Pramono said.

The PDI-P, he said, had rejected the reelection bid of one incumbent regent in Bali after he lost to his contender in the local convention. The contender won PDI-P approval instead, Pramono added.

The country will see direct elections for 215 regents and mayors and 11 governors this year, starting in June. The unprecedented direct local elections followed the presidential election, which won international plaudits as the most democratic ever in the country.

Unlike Golkar, which is bidding for victory in 60 percent of regional administrations in the country, the PDI-P has set its sights on winning at least 158 executive posts in provinces and regencies where the party prevailed in the previous local elections.

Pramono said the party was ready to form a coalition with other parties, including Golkar, to maintain its performance.

"Our target is not superfluous, it's just to retain the regional executive posts we won in the previous polls in provinces, mayoralties and regencies," Pramono said.

A coalition will be sought only if the PDI-P fails to meet the electoral threshold of 15 percent of the vote, he added.

The party also established during its congress a special body to focus on strategies to help it win local and other elections.

"We have branches in 442 regencies and mayoralties plus 30 provincial offices. That means we will have to compete in almost one and a half regional elections every day. Therefore a special body is required," he said.

Reelected leader Megawati Soekarnoputri named Tjahjo Kumolo, who also chairs the party's faction at the House of Representatives, the head of the new body.