Jakarta. The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) will announce the running mate for presidential candidate Ganjar Pranowo on Wednesday, a day before the General Election Commission opens registration for all candidates, his campaign team said Tuesday.

PDI-P Chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri will announce the candidate after a meeting with other party leaders grouping in the Ganjar coalition.

“Megawati will coordinate with the national campaign team for Ganjar to announce the person who will become his running mate tomorrow at 10:00 a.m.,” PDI-P Secretary-General Hasto Kristiyanto said.

He declined to provide any clue of the would-be running mate, amid speculations that Chief Security Minister Mohammad Mahfud MD is the top choice on a short list of nominees.

Indonesia is set to hold a three-way presidential election in February. Former Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan is the first to announce his running mate -- National Awakening Party (PKB) Chairman Muhaimin Iskandar.

The third candidate, Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto, is rumored to pick Gibran Rakabuming Raka, the oldest son of President Joko Widodo, as his ticket mate.

Gibran was previously ineligible to contest in the election due to the age limit of 40 years for a presidential or vice presidential candidate. But on Monday, the Constitutional Court amended the stipulation, ruling that a candidate "must be at least 40 years old or has served or is serving a public position through general elections, including regional government leader elections." 

Gibran, who is now 36 years old, is currently the mayor of Solo, Central Java.

While everything remains uncertain until Ganjar and Prabowo announce their veep candidates, the current development signals a widening gap between the president and the ruling party PDI-P, which nominated him for president in 2014 and 2019, and also Gibran for the mayoral election.

Last month, the president’s youngest son, Kaesang Pangarep, joined the Indonesian Solidarity Party (PSI) and was elected chairman within days.

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