Jakarta. Sandiaga Uno was dressed in the green jacket of the United Development Party (PPP) during a ceremony marking his membership of the Muslim-based party in Jakarta on Wednesday, less than a year before the general elections.

His arrival at the PPP came two months after he bid farewell to the Great Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra), which became his political vehicle to win the Jakarta vice gubernatorial post in 2017 and compete as a running mate in the 2019 presidential election.

"I will accompany the PPP to meet the public demand for the leadership that focuses on issues facing the community such as the economy, efforts to empower the economy among Muslims and the MSMEs, and job creation,” Sandiaga said in his speech.

He said he had spent the last seven months contemplating his political career before making the decision.

“In the past two months, I have been making the approach [to PPP] and thankfully today I’m accepted to become a member of the PPP big family,” Sandiaga said.

PPP Chairman Muhamad Mardiono symbolically handed the party membership card to him and helped him wear the green jacket.

“We’re hopeful that he brings luck with his arrival. He is a successful man as both an entrepreneur and a politician, with the win in the Jakarta gubernatorial election,” Mardiono said of Sandiaga.

He said the PPP aims to win up to 50 seats in the House of Representatives and Sandiaga’s arrival is expected to boost the votes for the party.

It remains unclear if Sandiaga is seeking to win public office with the PPP, which has teamed up with the ruling Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) to nominate Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo for president in the 2024 election.

Speaking to reporters after the ceremony, Sandiaga said it won’t bother him if he is not picked as a running mate for Ganjar.

“The authority to decide that is in the hand of the leaders of the party and the coalition. I will be working with the PPP wholeheartedly,” Sandiaga said. 

The tourism and creative economy minister said he has reported to President Joko Widodo about his new adventure with the PPP, but Sandiaga declined to answer when asked about the president’s reaction.