PPP Chairman Targets Most Seats in South Sulawesi Elections

The chairman of the United Development Party (PPP), Muhamad Mardiono, has urged the newly appointed leadership of the party's South Sulawesi branch to secure the largest vote share in the upcoming legislative elections. This ambitious goal was announced after the inauguration of the South Sulawesi Regional Executive Council for the 2026-2031 term. Mardiono expressed confidence that the new leadership would boost the party's performance and restore the prominence of PPP, a party established in 1973. "We are targeting the largest vote acquisition in South Sulawesi, even though it has improved well in 2024, we still have a target," Mardiono told reporters. He aims not only to increase votes but also for PPP to chair the South Sulawesi Regional Council, emphasizing the need for parallel efforts in both legislative and executive branches. Despite PPP's failure to meet the 4 percent parliamentary threshold in the 2024 election, resulting in a loss of seats in the national parliament, Mardiono remains optimistic. He believes the party's grassroots support is still strong and stable, citing its significant presence at the regional level. "Our aspirations are indeed high, the United Development Party is still intact at the grassroots, meaning our votes are still large at the regional level. It's just that there were shortcomings at the central level, but at the regional level, we are still intact," he explained. He hopes regional votes can be synchronized to regain seats similar to the 2014 election, when PPP secured 39 seats in the national legislature. Regarding internal disputes, including a lawsuit challenging the results of the party's congress, Mardiono remained unfazed. He described such conflicts as common within a large family and assured they would not impact election preparations. "Those who sue are not outsiders. That's called an internal dispute, like in our family, if a father and mother have five children, if they dispute every week, it's normal. We keep moving forward, all national consolidation is proceeding," he said. Meanwhile, the head of PPP South Sulawesi, Ilham Ari Fauzi, requested support from all party members to achieve the set targets, acknowledging the significant responsibility but remaining optimistic due to PPP's strong grassroots presence and public recognition.