Jakarta – The Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) says former West Java governor Ridwan Kamil, who hails from the Golkar Party, is interested in partnering with its members in the 2024 regional head elections.
PKS spokesman Pipin Sopian said the party was like a magnet for potential candidates of the West Java gubernatorial race.
This year's regional head elections are slated to be held simultaneously on Nov. 27 in 37 provinces and 508 municipalities and regencies.
"Almost all political parties want to form [an alliance] with the PKS, and several parties and figures have requested to be paired with PKS members," Pipin said on Tuesday, as quoted by cnnidonesia.com.
"For example, there are names like [PKS president Ahmad] Syaikhu and [PKS West Java chief] Haru Suandharu. These are the two strongest names within PKS," he added.
"Ridwan Kamil also wants to explore [an alliance], and is interested in being paired with a PKS member."
Pipin added that the PKS would wait for the results of an electability survey before deciding on who to support in the regional head elections.
Ridwan is part of the candidate pool for the gubernatorial races in Jakarta and West Java, as Golkar is eligible to run in both provinces.
Several other major parties are also looking to back the Golkar politician's Jakarta bid.
Gerindra Party executive chairman Sufmi Dasco Ahmad said Ridwan had himself asked for a chance to run for Jakarta governor.