JAKARTA (Yosefardi) – The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), in the upcoming national meeting early next month, reportedly will discuss its president candidate, including the possibility of endorsing popular Jakarta Governor Joko ‘Jokowi’ Widodo for next year’s presidential race.

The PDI-P’s national meeting will take place in a hotel in Ancol, North Jakarta on 6-7 September 2013. The Mercure Ancol could be the place of the meeting as the party had held its latest national meeting there in February 2013.

“We will discuss everything including our president candidate, including whether or not Jokowi will become president candidate,” said TB Hasanuddin, Head of PDI-P’s Election Victory Body, as quoted by Detik.com on Tuesday (Aug 27).

Puan Maharani, another leader of PDI-P, added that her mother and as well as PDI-P patron leader Megawati Soekarnoputri will soon decide on who will be endorsed in next year’s presidential race. Puan, however, has not yet known whether Megawati will announce the candidate in the upcoming national meeting.

“I don’t know yet whether the national meeting will announced about president candidate and vice president candidate from PDI-P. But for clearly, there will be an interesting agenda for public related to the next year’s legislative election,” said Puan.

Another PDI-P’s leader Ribka Tjiptaning, meanwhile, stated that there is a possibility that Megawati will announce Jokowi as president candidate.

The latest survey from the research center of Kompas newspaper, the largest newspaper in the country, pointed to further explosion of Jokowi’s electability making him as the most potential president candidate. According to Kompas, Jokowi’s electability has soared to 32.5%, almost doubled from 17.7% in its previous survey in December 2012. Jokowi’s electability is far above other contenders, including Megawati herself.

The latest survey from Kompas newspaper also showed how Jokowi’s explosion electability has rocketed PDI-P’s poll numbers from 13.3% in its previous survey (December 2012) to 23.6%, a far far above eleven other parties. (haryantos@yosefardi.biz)