Bagus BT Saragih, Jakarta – Political parties have begun discussing potential candidates for the 2014 presidential election, while observers and politicians say it is counterproductive to think so far ahead.
Politicians, from the ruling coalition and opposition parties, have made statements about prospective presidential candidates. Some have backed their losing nominees from the 2009 election, and some have dropped the names of fresh faces like Puan Maharani, First Lady Kristiani "Ani" Herawati and Sri Mulyani Indrawati.
Several politicians, however, have said it is too early to begin discussing names for 2014. Earlier, United Development Party (PPP) chairman Lukman Hakim Syaefuddin said the country's economy was more urgent.
Political observer J. Kristiadi said it was too early for the Democratic Party to market Ani Yudhoyono as their candidate.
"The current Cabinet has worked only for about a year and the ruling party already wants to talk about naming a candidate," he said as quoted by tempointeraktif.com on Thursday. "It would seem like they wanted to be forever in power."
A political observer from the Indonesian Survey Institute, Burhanudin Muhtadi, said most of the statements made so far about potential candidates were just attempts to test the water. "They want to see responses from the public or fellow politicians to asses whether the candidate they come up with would be prospective," he said Wednesday.
Speculations have arisen that PDI-P secretary-general Tjahjo Kumolo and deputy chair Puan Maharani, Megawati Soekarnoputri and Taufiq Kiemas' daughter, are credible potential candidates for 2014.
One of the most discussed names has been First Lady Ani Yudhoyono of the ruling Democratic Party.
The Democratic Party's deputy secretary-general Saan Mustafa acknowledged there was increasing support for Ani Yudhoyono, but said his party would continue to concentrate on supporting the government in its programs for now.
"It's too early [to talk about 2014 presidential candidates]. We will focus on that in 2013," he said.
As speculations about a potential alliance between the Democratic Party and opposition party PDI-P in 2014 grow, many have suggested that Ani could pair with Puan Maharani as her vice presidential candidate.
Former finance minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati, who is now a World Bank managing director, has also been named as a possible candidate. Irgan Chairul Mahfidz, the secretary-general of the PPP, said his party would support Mulyani if she ran for president.
The Golkar Party, meanwhile, seems to be paving the way to have party chairman and business tycoon Aburizal "Ical" Bakrie spearhead its presidential bid.