18-10-2023 (JAKARTA) Indonesia’s Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs, Mahfud MD, is set to join former Central Java governor Ganjar Pranowo as a vice-presidential running mate in the upcoming presidential election scheduled for Valentine’s Day next year.
The announcement was made by former president Megawati Soekarnoputri, who is also the chairwoman of the ruling Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P). She described Mahfud as a qualified intellectual, an honest and brave individual who champions the rights of the people, and expressed confidence that the pairing of Ganjar and Mahfud would enrich Indonesia’s democracy.
Mahfud, in response to this partnership, noted Ganjar’s popularity and his willingness to rectify wrongdoings, accept criticism, and fight for the political values he believes in. Ganjar, for his part, sought the support of the Indonesian people and expressed optimism that their shared spirit would lead to a better future for the nation.
This announcement comes just a day before the election commission opens registration for presidential and vice-presidential candidates. So far, three individuals have declared their intentions to run for president. Besides Ganjar, Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto has expressed his intention to run for the third time, with endorsements from his party Gerindra, the country’s third-largest political party, as well as the second-largest party, Golkar, and several others. Additionally, former Jakarta governor Anies Baswedan, supported by the country’s fourth-largest party, Nasdem, and PKB chairman Muhaimin Iskandar have also expressed their eagerness to run as president and vice president.
Ganjar and Mahfud have confirmed their registration with the election commission on the following day. Prabowo Subianto has yet to announce his running mate.
Mahfud MD, aged 66 and a native of East Java, is a seasoned politician, Islamic scholar, and former judge with ties to Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), the world’s largest Islamic organization. He began his career as a law lecturer and gained prominence in politics when he joined the Islam-based National Awakening Party (PKB) in 1998.
During the presidency of Abdurrahman Wahid, the founder of PKB, Mahfud served as Minister of Defense in 2000 and later as Minister of Justice and Human Rights in 2001. He left PKB when he became the Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court in 2008. In the 2014 election, PKB wanted to endorse him as a presidential candidate, but he ultimately backed Prabowo Subianto. In the 2019 election, President Joko Widodo considered choosing Mahfud but opted for Ma’ruf Amin instead. After winning the election, President Widodo appointed Mahfud as his Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs in October 2019.
The final day for presidential and vice-presidential registration is October 25. According to the country’s constitution, President Widodo is not eligible for a third term.
