A Rizieq Shihab Presidential Victory in 2024 Not Guaranteed, Says Ex-VP Jusuf Kalla

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com – Jusuf Kalla explicitly stated that the current support towards Rizieq Shihab does not guarantee his success in Indonesia's next presidential election.

The former Indonesian Vice-President made the remark about the leader of the Islamic Defenders Front during an interview posted on Berita Satu’s YouTube channel.

“I believe that out of 270 million people, only 190 million of them go out and vote. How many of them can we say is influenced by Rizieq Shihab? Not many.”

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“He is militant, but there is a silent majority. There are more people as the silent majority who will decide the outcome, not the loud crowds who take to the streets.”

Jusuf Kalla added that the current support behind the controversial Islamic cleric is only temporary as it is uncertain that Rizieq Shihab is able to maintain his charisma until the Indonesian Presidential Election in 2024.

As a former Indonesian Vice-President, Jusuf Kalla outlined how a number of factors influence the country’s political sphere in the lead-up to 2024.

He said that there can also be many events that may happen in the next four years which can ultimately change the configuration of Indonesian politics.

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Furthermore, there any many aspects that determine whether an individual will succeed in a presidential election including the political party that endorses the candidate, Jusuf said.

It is pointless for a public figure to have a large following but is not backed by a political party, he added.

In Indonesia, to become a presidential candidate, one must be endorsed by a political party.

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“Support from the masses is the last priority. Even if somebody can garner massive public support yet fail to be politically endorsed, then there is not much they can do about it.”

“The conditions we face today will be different than in the future. The situation today and the situation for the Indonesian Presidential Election in 2024 will certainly be different.”

(Writer: Rakhmat Nur Hakim | Editor: Dani Prabowo)

Source: https://nasional.kompas.com/read/2020/12/08/22370421/menurut-jusuf-kalla-dukungan-rizieq-shihab-bukan-penentu-hasil-pilpres-2024