Bagus BT Saragih and Ina Parlina, Jakarta – Despite a groundswell of support for popular Jakarta Governor Joko "Jokowi' Widodo, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle's (PDI-P) three-day national meeting wrapped up on Sunday with the decision that party leader Megawati Soekarnoputri would have the final say on its presidential candidate.
In the 17-point recommendation, endorsed by Megawati, there was no reference to the party's possible presidential pick.
"We recommend that the party chairperson decides when to announce the presidential candidate, taking in to consideration the political dynamics [of the situation], the party's preparedness and our ideological interests," senior PDI-P executive – who is also Megawati's daughter – Puan Maharani, read from the 17-point recommendation.
This statement reiterated the decision made during the party's national congress in Bali in 2011.
Other points on the recommendation included a target of 27 percent of the vote, or 152 out of 560 House of Representatives seats secured in the 2014 legislative election. At the 2009 elections, the PDI-P garnered 16.5 percent, or 95 seats.
Other party executives also talked of regaining the position as a ruling party after next year's election. "We will be a ruling party in 2014. We are tired of being the opposition," PDI-P outspoken lawmaker Maruarar Sirait said.
During the meeting, Megawati also hinted that the PDI-P could be left in the hands of those who were not part of the Sukarno clan.
Megawati is Sukarno's daughter and the party has been seen as a political legacy of the country's first president. It has been widely reported that Megawati and her inner circle wanted the party leadership and future presidential candidates to come from Sukarno's bloodline.
"Jokowi has a Sukarno vibe. He has the capacity to maintain Sukarno's legacy but other potential young members also have a similar capacity," Megawati said. "I can't live with people saying the PDI-P is a dynasty party. Democracy recognizes people based on their competence and ability, not on their bloodline."
Her statement could be seen as a sign that she has finally bowed to the growing pressure for the party to support Jokowi as a presidential candidate.
Political analyst Boni Hargens said that no decision had been made on Jokowi's candidacy.
"There are party executives, at the central level, who still insist that the PDI-P must name a Sukarno family member as its candidate, be they Megawati or Puan. These so-called 'Sukarnoists' are not many but they remain at the executive level."
"Megawati now faces a difficult job consolidating both major internal divisions and seeking a compromise. This will take time," he said.
The grassroots level, however, seemed to have warmed to the idea of Jokowi's candidacy. During the three-day meeting, Jokowi continued to cast his spell on party members with any mention of his name drawing thunderous applause.
"Jokowi's speech yesterday touched and inspired us. Our members in Sulawesi called me and told me that this might be the time," Zainal Basri Palaguna, head of PDI-P South Sulawesi chapter said before the forum. He represented all the party chapters in Sulawesi.
Almost all heads of party regional chapters expressed their support of Jokowi as the party's sole presidential candidate except representatives from Central Java, Yogyakarta, and East Java, who supported both Megawati and Jokowi; and those from Bali, West Nusa Tenggara and East Nusa Tenggara, who deferred the decision to name a presidential candidate to Megawati.
PDI-P deputy secretary general Hasto Kristiyanto, said that the delay in naming a presidential candidate did not result from the party's on-going negotiation with the Great Indonesia Movement (Gerindra) Party, PDI-P's ally in the 2009 race.
Speculation abounds that Gerindra demanded that the PDI-P supported its patron Lt. Gen. (ret) Prabowo Subianto as the presidential candidate in return for Gerindra's support for Megawati in 2009 and Prabowo's backing in Jokowi's Jakarta gubernatorial bid in 2012.