Jakarta. East Java is poised to have a female governor for another term as Khofifah Indar Parawansa seeks reelection, facing competition from Luluk Nur Hamidah of the National Awakening Party (PKB), with Tri Rismaharini from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) potentially joining the race.

Khofifah, alongside her running mate Emil Dardak, officially registered her candidacy with the East Java General Election Commission on Wednesday. In a surprising move, PKB nominated party executives Luluk and Lukmanul Hakim as her running mate.

PKB’s ability to nominate candidates independently was recently bolstered by a Constitutional Court ruling that lowered the gubernatorial nomination threshold to 7.5 percent of the popular vote in the province’s last election. This change allowed PKB to field its candidates without needing a coalition, which it had previously considered forming with PDI-P.

"We want fresh, corruption-free leadership for East Java. PKB’s nominees are experienced, young, and honest. Luluk and Lukman represent a more energetic and youthful option compared to the other candidates," PKB Deputy Chairman Jazilul Fawaid said at the legislature building in Jakarta.

"We chose Luluk because all gubernatorial candidates in East Java are women, and she brings a youthful energy and strong determination," he added.

Meanwhile, PDI-P has indicated that Tri Rismaharini, commonly known as Risma, is their likely pick for the gubernatorial race. However, PDI-P Chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri has yet to make an official announcement regarding Risma's candidacy and her potential running mate.

Risma, currently serving as the Minister of Social Affairs, rose to national prominence due to her hands-on leadership style during her tenure as the mayor of Surabaya.