The United Development Party (PPP) is unlikely to break from tradition and will nominate its party chairman as its presidential candidate for the upcoming national election, a senior PPP official said.

The announcement of Religious Affairs Minister Suryadharma Ali as the party's candidate will likely be made at the PPP conference in Bandung, West Java, at the end of this week.

"The possibility is Suryadharma, he's the best in the PPP," deputy chairman of the party Irgan Chairul Mahfiz said, as quoted by news portal Kompas.com on Monday. "It's a tradition in PPP that the chairman should be the [candidate]," he said.

Before any official announcement, the PPP will hear the views of the party board, ulema and other senior figures and party faithful during the national meeting. Suryadharma said he did not know whether he would be nominated by the party.

"I don't know," Suryadharma said, as quoted by the state-run news agency Antara on Monday, before adding the matter was in God's hands. "But everyday there are people, ulema and public figure advising me to contest the election."