Puan Responds to Kaesang's Plan to Contest Same Electoral District in 2029 Legislative Election

House Speaker Puan Maharani has spoken out regarding the plan by Indonesian Solidarity Party (PSI) chairman Kaesang Pangarep to run in the same electoral district in the upcoming 2029 legislative election.

Puan responded briefly when asked about the matter. According to her, every political party has the right to field its candidates in any electoral district.

“It is the right of every political party to put forward any name in all electoral districts,” Puan said after inspecting preparations for the MPR annual session at the parliamentary complex on Wednesday (13/8).

Kaesang reportedly plans to run in the Central Java V electoral district, which is also Puan’s district. The district covers several areas of the Surakarta residency, including Solo, Boyolali, Klaten, and Sukoharjo.

In the 2024 legislative election, Central Java V contested a total of eight seats, with Puan Maharani securing the highest number of votes at 297,366, placing her as the third-highest vote winner nationally behind Said Abdullah and Dedi Mulyadi.

However, the latter withdrew after running and being elected as governor of West Java in the 2024 regional election.

PSI DPP chairman for political affairs, Bestari Barus, said the plan to field Kaesang in Solo and its surroundings was because the area is familiar to him. The youngest son of President Jokowi was born and raised in Solo.

Nevertheless, Bestari said the choice of the Solo and surrounding electoral district was not intended to confront any particular party. He said the legislative contest is a battle among all parties and candidates.

“So I think the chance of securing a seat in the Solo and surrounding area, Central Java electoral district V, is certainly not impossible,” he said at the end of July.