Gerindra Mulls Nominating Yenny Wahid as Gubernatorial Candidate
3 January 2018 08:34 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Gerindra deputy chairman Ferry Juliantono said that the party is mulling nominating Zannuba Arifa Chafsoh (Yenny Wahid) as East Java gubernatorial candidate.
He said that Yenny is part of Gerindra big family because her husband Dhorir Farisi is the party’s cadre. “So, [she] is no outsider for Gerindra,” he said yesterday in Jakarta.
Ferry said that suggestions have been made to nominate Yenny Wahid. But she has to compete with other figures such as Member of Parliament Moreno Suprapto.
Pressed about Yenny’s strengths compared to other gubernatorial candidates such as Syaifullah Yusuf and Khofifah Indar Parawansa, Ferry answered diplomatically. “Everyone has their own strengths,” he said.
Gerindra Party plans to announce its nominee for East Java election on Thursday, January 4. The party is currently processing the cancellation of La Nyalla Mattalitti’s nomination and planning to deliberate on the proposed nomination of Moreno and Yenny.
Gerindra co-deputy chairman Sufmi Dasco Ahmad said that Yenny Wahid’s name had been bandied about in the party’s recent internal meetings. Yenny earlier visited the home of chairman Prabowo last week. Dasco said that the meeting represents an introductory move before the planned nomination.
He said that Gerindra has yet to make any decision on East Java gubernatorial election. He reasoned that the party is still discussing the issue with the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) and the National Mandate Party (PAN) that have agreed to coalesce in six provinces, including East Java.
AHMAD FAIZ IBNU SANI
