Ezra Sihite – The Prosperous Justice Party will likely nominate its chairman, Luthfi Hasan Ishaaq, as the party's candidate for the 2014 presidential election.
Syahfan Badri Sampurno, campaign chairman of the party known as PKS, said an internal survey showed Luthfi to be the party's strongest candidate. However, he added that PKS had also compiled a list of alternative candidates from within the party. "He is quite capable," Syahfan said on Wednesday.
He said it was only natural for PKS to now nominate its candidate for the election, still two years away, because other political parties were doing the same.
PKS secretary general Anis Matta said on Tuesday that there was a strong desire from party loyalists to nominate one of its own for the presidency. "In this case, surely Pak Luthfi Hasan Ishaaq, as the party's chairman, has the biggest chance," Anis said.
The Golkar Party, which has nominated its chairman Aburizal Bakrie to stand as its presidential candidate, welcomed PKS's plan to nominate Luthfi.
"We welcome Pak Luthfi's nomination as the presidential candidate from PKS. Regarding the question of whether Golkar is worried about [the nomination], we're certainly not worried. It's not up to us to decide, but it's the people who will choose to whom they will pin their hopes," Golkar deputy secretary general Nurul Arifin said on Wednesday.
Nurul said PKS and Golkar commanded separate constituent bases, with the Islamic-based PKS attracting different voters than the nationalist and developmentalist Golkar Party. "We believe that hard work will lead to results," said Nurul.
Nurul said she hoped Golkar's electability at the local level and in the concurrent 2014 legislative elections would be bolstered by the party's presidential nominee.
Meanwhile, Syahganda Nainggolan, chairman of the Sabang Merauke Circle, a private think tank dealing with economics and politics, said Luthfi's nomination would add new dynamics to the presidential race.
Given the party's relatively small size, Syahganda called the nomination a "brave" move. At just 50 years old, Luthfi is considered by some to better represent younger generations of voters.'