To Reach the Top Three in the 2029 Elections, NasDem DPP Focuses on Java Island

After 15 days on a Java-focused tour, the NasDem DPP Ramadan Safari group wrapped up its activities in Bandung, West Java. The breaking-fast gathering and party consolidation took place at the Papandayan Hotel on Saturday evening, 7 March.

Saan Mustofa, the NasDem DPP vice chairman who led the Ramadan Safari, said that during visits to several areas the delegation kept in touch with cadres, kyai, and the community. ‘Why Java? Java has 39 electoral districts (Dapil). In the 2024 election, out of 39 districts, 27 were filled; 12 remain, four in East Java (Jatim), three in Central Java (Jateng), and three in West Java (Jabar),’ he explained, noting his role as Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives.

According to Saan, there is a significant gap—a major PR that must be tackled—and this is the instruction of the general chairman that 2029 should be the focus of all NasDem components across Java, and Java is indeed a weak base for NasDem compared with others.

‘For the 2029 elections, the NasDem chairman Surya Paloh targets 100 seats in the DPR RI and wants to be in the top three. In the three elections, the top three has not yet been achieved and we have not yet reached 100 seats in the DPR RI, but the target is getting closer,’ he said.

Regarding the results, he noted that in the first election the gap was 64 seats, in the second election short by 42 seats, and in the third election short by 31 seats, so the target is increasingly within reach of the chairman’s aim. In terms of standings, in the first election they finished ninth, in the second they were fourth, and in the third they remained in the top four; the target is the top three, which is not impossible given the trend.

To West Java NasDem cadres, Saan urged them to stay solid and to secure NasDem to finish third in West Java and nationally.

‘This is an effort targeted by the general chairman; our shared target is to place NasDem in the top three. Let us manage the party properly, and I invite you to strengthen our commitment, our determination so that by 2029 NasDem West Java is in the top three, with all Dapil represented in the DPR RI, provinces and municipalities,’ he concluded.

Meanwhile, West Java NasDem DPW chair Mamat Rachmat explained that by 2029, the DPW aims for a top-three position in the Provincial DPRD, regional councils and the DPR RI; he hopes this can be realised. Although the election is still a long way off, the DPW has already begun heating up the party machinery to achieve the target.

‘Consolidation during Ramadan Safari is one way to rally the 18 DPDs in West Java. This is an opportunity for us; hopefully through this consolidation we will gain the blessing and guidance from Allah SWT,’ he said.

In the consolidation, Mamat explained that the party is finalising the readiness of the party structure and cadres to bring NasDem into the top three in West Java, especially down to the TPS level. ‘These eight provincial and DPR seats are our capital; all DPDs should assess their management—who is active and who isn’t; those who are not should be replaced; there must be no awkward words, because if those who are working are not, those who are working will be in trouble,’ he asserted.