TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) deputy secretary general Hasto Kristianto said the party would utilize both the positive and negative momentums to prevail in the 2014 General Elections. An example of the positive momentums, he said, was the role of Jakarta Governor Joko Widodo.

“Jokowi is part of the positive momentums,” Hasto told Tempo on Wednesday, August 28, 2013. He said an example of the positive momentums was the failure of President Yudhoyono’s administration in securing the nation’s economic stability, weakening rupiah, and piling debts.

Hasto admitted Jokowi was one of the factors boosting the PDI-P’s electability. However, he said, the governor was not the sole factor contributing to the party’s increased electability. He said it was also thanks to the good performances of the party’s officials—both in the central and regional government institutions.

Hasto said the party—despite Jokowi’s high electability—would not automatically nominate the governor as a presidential candidate. He added PDI-P chief Megawati Soekarnoputri was the one with the authority to single out a hopeful.

Presently, he said, the PDI-P was focusing on strategies to win the legislative elections, which would enable the party to nominate internal cadres as both presidential and vice presidential candidates.

Hasto said he was bullish the party would amass around 20 percent of the total votes in the 2014 General Elections.

SUNDARI