Robertus Wardi, Jakarta – The United Development Party (PPP) on Sunday announced that it would postpone the nomination of a candidate for the 2014 presidential election until after the legislative elections, effectively canceling its expected plan to nominate Religious Affairs Minister Suryadharma Ali.

"It would be an embarrassment for the PPP to put forth a candidate and later receive an insufficient amount of votes to [run]," said Ahmad Yani, a secretary with the party's central executive board.

The news was also confirmed by PPP deputy chairman Suharso Monoarfa, who said it was impossible to nominate a canidate without also declaring a vice presidential candidate. "The declaration has to be in pairs – who would be the running mate?" Suharso said on Saturday, as quoted by Vivanews.com.

Suharso said that the party's working assembly in Bandung, West Java, on Sunday was simply an event to commemorate the PPP's 41st anniversary and conclude the two-day conference.

Party officials in the past indicated that the PPP would nominate Suryadharma at the end of the Bandung assembly. That plan, however, was rejected on Sunday by at least 26 of the party's regional leaders.

"We do not want there to be any declaration of a presidential candidate before the legislative elections, so that those in the party's regional offices could move more freely in anticipating the legislative elections," said Evi Suherman, the PPP's Jambi regional office chairman.

On Saturday, the PPP's communications and media chief, Arwani Thomafi, said internal support for Suryadharma was solid but that the party will continue to field other suggestions for potential candidates.

Arwani emphasized, though, that Suryadharma was a figure with strong ties to Indonesia's Islamic leaders and teachers. "Within the PPP and in Islamic boarding schools, Suryadharma has the capacity to become a presidential candidate for 2014," he said.

Responding to the cancellation, Suryadharma underlined that the national working assembly was a legitimate forum for making strategic decisions for the party and that he would respect any decision agreed upon by its participants. "If such is the decision that has been taken, then I will respect it," Suryadharma said.

Evi added that despite opposing the declaration, the 26 regional offices agreed that the PPP should put together a list of at least nine names for the election in order to enhance the party's electability.

Fadly Nursal, chairman of the party's North Sumatra office, said that the regional offices also suggested that the party should be open to presidential candidates from outside the party. He said that Suryadharma should remain on the list as a candidate but that the eight other names should be people from outside the party.

Among the names are former Vice President Jusuf Kalla, Jakarta Governor Joko Widodo, former Constitutional Court chiefs Mahfud MD and Jimly Asshidiqie, and National Awakening Party (PKB) chairman Yenny Wahid.