SURABAYA (Yosefardi) – Pretty much as predicted, Muhaimin Iskandar has been re-elected by acclamation on early Monday (September 1) as Chairman of the National Awakening Party (PKB) in its national chairmanship congress (Muktamar) held in Surabaya, East Java.
Muhaimin, who is also Minister of Manpower and Transmigration, was the sole candidate in the PKB chairmanship race.
The 47-year-old politician, in his political speech just after earning his second term, has set an ambitious target for the PKB to beat Golkar Party and become the runner up in 2019 legislative election.
As we all know, PKB ends up in a distant five behind PDI-P, Golkar, Gerindra, and Democratic parties in 2014 legislative election.
Muhaimin himself has been widely mentioned as potential candidate for becoming one of key members in the next cabinet of President-elect Joko “Jokowi” Widodo and Vice President-elect Jusuf Kalla.
Jokowi, however, earlier stated that whoever appointed as cabinet members should quit from party duties. (Haryantos@yosefardi.biz)