Jakarta – Gerindra Party deputy chief patron Sandiaga Uno has said that he will discuss with party leader Prabowo Subianto the aspirations of the United Development Party (PPP), following that party's nomination of Sandiaga as a potential candidate for the 2024 presidential election.
Sandiaga, who currently serves as the tourism and creative industry minister in the Cabinet of President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo, was Prabowo's running mate in the previous election, when they lost to the Jokowi-Maruf Amin pair by a wide margin.
The PPP announced its intention to nominate Sandiaga during the party's 50th anniversary event in Malino, South Sulawesi, on Sunday. The party's acting leader, Mardino, called Sandiaga a "national asset, a commander that could help the tourist sector faster compared with other nations".
"We are expressing to him our highest appreciation. Is he worthy of becoming president or not," he asked the party's rank and file, who responded with a resounding "yes", as reported by kompas.com.
In response to the PPP proposal, Sandiaga said in a statement that he would convey the party's message to Prabowo, as the leader of his own party.
"I was in attendance [at the PPP event] at the invitation of the party's acting leader and I will forward the said aspirations and messages. Of course, the decision rests with the political parties' leaders," he said.
Sandiaga is seen as one of the potential presidential or vice presidential candidates for 2024, though his electability rating is far below that of the frontrunners, Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo, former Jakarta governor Anies Baswedan and Prabowo. Sandiaga, however, has served as running mates for both Prabowo and Anies.
The Anies-Sandiaga pair won the highly divisive Jakarta gubernatorial election in 2017. Sandiaga, however, left his post to contest the presidential election in 2019.
Sandiaga recently reaffirmed his relationship with Prabowo following a three-hour meeting between the two politicians. "We discussed a lot of things, but the central message is that we have to stand united and we must not be divided," he said.
The meeting came amid speculation over his perceived ambition to run for president, fueled mainly by his close relationship with the PPP, which has expressed its intention to endorse the tourism minister in 2020.
Sandiaga has not ruled out any attempt to run for office again. In December, he hinted at his readiness to run in 2024, but only if a political party wanted him to.
"We should allow room for the parties to make their choices, but my achievements as tourism and creative economy minister speak for themselves," Sandiaga said at the time, as quoted by kompas.com. (ahw)