Yustinus Paat, Jakarta – Social Affairs Minister Tri Rismaharini, commonly known as Risma, has been officially nominated as the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle's (PDI-P) candidate for East Java governor, with Muslim scholar Zahrul Azhar Asad as her running mate for the November 27 election.
While Risma's candidacy has been widely anticipated in recent weeks, the confirmation of her running mate was made public on Thursday, just ahead of the candidate registration deadline set by the General Election Commission.
Said Abdullah, head of PDI-P's East Java chapter, announced that the duo would formally register with the commission later in the evening.
Risma, 62, previously served two terms as mayor of Surabaya, the capital of East Java, before being appointed as social affairs minister. During her tenure as mayor, Surabaya became the first city in Indonesia to implement an electronic public service system.
Zahrul, also known as Gus Han, is the leader of an Islamic boarding school and serves as vice chancellor of Darul Ulum Islamic University in Jombang, East Java.
According to Said, Risma and Zahrul form an ideal partnership, combining Risma's extensive experience in public office and her representation of women's interests with Zahrul's strong backing from Muslim voters and the youth.