Partyforumseasia: Punctually for the official campaign start for the parliamentary elections  the PDI-P has at last nominated its presidential candidate. In the polls of the last few months, Joko Widodo (“Jokowi”) is  the most successful of the possible candidates by quite a wide margin. With his successful performance as mayor of Jakarta and his clean image his popularity may not only support his presidential campaign in June, but also help PDI-P to a decisive pole position in the parliamentary elections on 9 April.

Looking into the nomination process inside the PDI-P, Partyforumseasia can confirm the strategy of the party. Keeping the public guessing whether long term party chairperson  Megawati Sukarnoputri would run herself and risk another defeat has successfully kept the media and polit-gurus busy and active. Affordable party PR can be so easy!!
And presenting the most popular candidate just at the official start into the campaign season for the parliamentary elections will certainly be good for the party as well.
Nevertheless, the nomination procedure looks a bit too leader-centric than many may see as fully democratic. But the aura of Ms Megawati as the daughter of the meanwhile legendary founder father of Indonesia, Sukarno, president 1945 – 1967, makes the nomination acceptable and valid beyond simple procedural questions:

The candidate himself is being quoted as follows: “I’ve been given the mandate by PDI-P chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri to become the presidential candidate representing the PDI-P,” Jokowi said during a blusukan (impromptu visit) to Rumah Pitung in Marunda, North Jakarta, on Friday. “By saying Bismillah [in the name of God], I’m ready to carry out the instruction,” Jokowi said at 2:49 p.m. as quoted by kompas.com. (Jakarta Post, 14 March 2014)
And in a letter to the editor at the end of the article we read: “ Jokowi would be the catalyst for all the honest members in the party since he gets blessing from madam chairman.”

More background information on the strategies of the competing parties can be found here on Partyforumseasia.org: LINK