Jakarta. Budiman Sudjatmiko, a high-ranking member of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), could potentially face dismissal from the party on Monday due to his public endorsement of Prabowo Subianto's presidential candidacy.

Prabowo is a potential contender against PDI-P's own presidential candidate, Ganjar Pranowo, with recent polls indicating that the two candidates remain in a statistical dead heat just six months ahead of the election.

PDI-P Secretary-General Hasto Kristiyanto said on Sunday that an ethics hearing would result in sanctions against Budiman. He added that the party does not allow its members to deviate from the party's stance.

"The available options are for him to either resign or accept dismissal," Hasto told Antara news agency during a party event in Balikpapan, East Kalimantan province.

Hasto's announcement comes following Budiman's surprising declaration of support for Prabowo during a public event in Semarang, where Ganjar currently serves as the governor of Central Java. 

The event was attended by both Budiman and Prabowo, and Budiman introduced a new group of supporters for the defense minister during the gathering.

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