PPP eyes new leadership in bid for political revival

Following its failure to secure seats in the House of Representatives during the 2024 general elections, Indonesia’s oldest Islamic political party, the United Development Party (PPP), is now seeking new leadership in hopes of staging a political comeback. In an unprecedented move, the party is even considering figures outside its traditional Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) roots.

PPP plans to hold a congress in August or September to elect a definitive chairman, replacing acting chairman Muhammad Mardiono, who has led the party since 2022. Mardiono, who ousted former chairman Suharso Monoarfa, then head of the National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas) in President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s cabinet, has faced internal criticism and is largely blamed for the party’s electoral defeat.

Among his critics is party advisory council chairman M. Romahurmuziy, a former party leader who was imprisoned for bribery in 2020. Both Mardiono and Romahurmuziy have emerged as possible contenders for the party's top post, along with other prominent figures such as former tourism minister and 2019 vice-presidential candidate Sandiaga Uno, deputy chairman Amir Uskara and Central Java Deputy Governor Taj Yasin Maimoen.

Sandiaga, who joined PPP in 2023 after leaving Prabowo Subianto’s Gerindra Party, led the party’s 2024 election campaign but failed to bring it back into the legislature. Amir Uskara is a long-time PPP member from South Sulawesi. Taj Yasin, son of the late influential cleric Maimoen Zubair, carries strong NU credentials and appeal, especially in Central Java.

Other potential candidates reportedly include figures from outside the party, such as Social Affairs Minister Saifullah Yusuf, Agriculture Minister Andi Amran Sulaiman and former Trade Minister Agus Suparmanto. Saifullah, NU’s current secretary-general and a former East Java deputy governor, is a well-known NU figure. Amran, backed by his Tiran Group business empire and billionaire cousin Andi Syamsuddin Arsyad, also known as Haji Isam, brings significant financial resources to the table.

A surprising name to surface in discussions is retired General Dudung Abdurachman, a former Army chief of staff under President Jokowi. Though Dudung has no known affiliation with PPP or Islamic organizations, his inclusion has drawn attention due to his high-profile stance against Islamic hardliner Rizieq Shihab during his tenure as Jakarta Military commander in 2020.

According to PPP’s internal regulations, only individuals with prior organizational roles within the party are eligible to run for chairman. However, Romahurmuziy has publicly called for flexibility, advocating for expanded criteria that would allow the inclusion of strong candidates from outside the party's traditional framework.

PPP has historically maintained strong ties with NU, Indonesia’s largest Muslim organization, with its voter base mostly in Central and East Java. The party's regional leadership in these provinces remains dominated by NU-affiliated politicians, including Taj Yasin and East Java Governor Khofifah Indar Parawansa, who leads NU’s women’s wing, Muslimat NU.

However, PPP’s connection with NU has weakened in recent years, particularly as the National Awakening Party (PKB) has deepened its own ties with the organization. Since its founding by former president Abdurrahman Wahid, PKB has outperformed PPP in every general election, most recently securing 10.6 percent of the vote in 2024.

In contrast, PPP’s electoral fortunes have steadily declined from 10.7 percent of the national vote in 1999 to just 3.9 percent in 2024, falling short of the 4 percent parliamentary threshold. As a result, the party lost all of its seats in the House of Representatives for the 2024–2029 legislative period, marking the first time since 1977 that it will not be represented.

Another blow to the party came from its endorsement of PDI-P candidate Ganjar Pranowo in the 2024 presidential race, a bid that ultimately failed against Prabowo Subianto. Despite later expressing support for Prabowo’s incoming administration, PPP was excluded from cabinet appointments.

Now, the party is counting on its next congress to produce a leader capable of restoring its political relevance. Whether PPP chooses a chairman rooted in NU or an outsider with broader appeal, the choice could shape the future direction of the party and determine whether it can regain its footing in Indonesia’s evolving political landscape.