South Sulawesi is another province that will take part in the 2018 simultaneous regional elections. The province is home to the Sengkang LNG project (which is fully controlled by ASX-listed Energy World Corporation (EWC)), and two of the country’s nickel producers, Aneka Tambang (ANTM) and Vale Indonesia (INCO). Politically, South Sulawesi is significant because it has the most population in the Sulawesi island. It is also the home town of Vice President Jusuf Kalla. 

The following is the political constellation in South Sulawesi’s provincial legislative council (DPRD):

Political Party

Seat

%

Golkar

18

21.2

Gerindra

11

12.9

Democratic Party

11

12.9

PAN

9

10.6

PPP

7

8.2

Nasdem

7

8.2

PKS

6

7.1

Hanura

6

7.1

PDIP

5

5.9

PKB

3

3.5

PBB

1

1.2

PKPI

1

1.2

85

100

As you can see, Golkar is the largest political party in the province. But it’s worth noting that Golkar’s votes have been substantially declining from one legislative election to another. Golkar once controlled 33 DPRD seats in 2004, and later in 2009, the Party lost nearly half of their seats with 18 seats left. Evidence of the Party’s declining votes can also be seen in the result of the 2014 legislative election. Out of the 24 available seats representing the province of South Sulawesi, Golkar only secured 5.

That said, Article 40 of Law 10/2016 on Regional Election states that only a party with 20% of the seats in the DPRD or a party that had acquired 25% of the votes in previous legislative election can nominate their regional head candidates. This is the so-called minimum threshold. For controlling 18 out of 85 seats in the DPRD South Sulawesi, Golkar has 21.2% of the seats and thus passes the minimum threshold. Golkar can endorse their own pair of governor and vice governor candidates without having to team up with another party. Indeed, Golkar is the only political party in South Sulawesi that is able to endorse their own gubernatorial pair without having to form a coalition.

At the moment, the province of South Sulawesi is led by Governor Syahrul Yasin Limpo, who is a key leader in Golkar. But Syahrul will no longer be able to run for the governorship because he’s served for two terms (2008-2013 and 2013-2018). And so the competition for Golkar’s gubernatorial ticket would likely be between Nurdin Halid, who is now the daily chairman of Golkar, and those from the Yasin Limpo family, which is one of the most influential families in South Sulawesi.

Colonel (ret.) HM  Yasin Limpo, who is the father of Governor Syahrul Yasin Limpo, was the founder of the Golkar Party in South Sulawesi. HM Yasin Limpo also served as regent of Gowa and Maros. Yasin also experienced more than 30 years leading the Scout Movement in South Sulawesi. That is where he gained the title of “Bapak Pandu” of South Sulawesi. HM Yasin Limpo has 7 children—3 daughters and 4 sons—all of whom are politicians. His grandchildren also followed their parents’ footsteps. The following are members of the Yasin Limpo family who are actively involved in politics:

  1. Tenri Olle Yasin Limpo, chairman of Golkar’s Regional Representatives Council (DPD) in Gowa and speaker of the Parliament of Gowa. Tenri is running in the election for regent in Gowa. Tenri Olle’s son Akbar Danu Indarta Marwan is a legislator in Gowa and he was running for the election for vice regent of Gowa against his mother;
  2. Syahrul Yasin Limpo, governor of South Sulawesi. The first directly elected governor. Before serving as governor, Syahrul served as Regent of Gowa for two terms. Syahrul won the governoship in 2007 with the support of a coalition of PDI-P, PAN, PDK and the Prosperous Peace Party (PDS). Syahrul’s daughter Indira Chunda Thita Syahrul is now a member of the 2014-2019 DPR from the National Mandate Party (PAN);
  3. Dewi Yasin Limpo is now graft convict. Prior to being sentenced to 6 years in jail, she was the chairman of Hanura in South Sulawesi and member of the House Commission VII of the DPR.
  4. Ichsan Yasin Limpo, a former regent of Gowa, who ruled for two terms. Currently Ichsan’s son Adnan Purichta Ichsan is Ichsan’s successor of leading Gowa regency, Adnan becoming the regent of Gowa after beating his aunt Tenri Olle Yasin Limpo in 2015 local election.
  5. Haris Yasin Limpo, chairman of Golkar in Makassar. Haris served as a member of the Regional Council in Makassar and has just been appointed as director of PDAM Makassar.
  6. Irman Yasin Limpo is serving as chief of Investment Board of the Provincial Government of South Sulawesi. Imran was also the acting regent of Luwu Timur.
  7. Tenri Angka Yasin Limpo is a former member of Makassar’s regional council and the wife of Andi Darussalam Tabusalla. Tenri Angka’s son Andi Pahlevi is a member of Makassar’s regional council from Gerindra.

Among the members of the Yasin Limpo family mentioned, it is widely believed that Ichsan Yasin Limpo will be the one to run in South Sulawesi’s 2018 gubernatorial election. A journalist in South Sulawesi shared with us the information that the Yasin Limpo family had been preparing Ichsan, who is now 55 years old, as the successor of the Yasin Limpo Dynasty. The problem is that Nurdin Halid has a better chance at securing the gubernatorial ticket from Golkar than Ichsan Yasin Limpo.

Nurdin, as we all know, is the daily chairman of Golkar for two consecutive periods under the previous leadership of Aburizal “Ical” Bakrie and now Setya Novanto. This is why Nurdin is known for his close relationship to both Novanto and Bakrie. Nurdin, moreover, was made the acting chairman of Golkar’s South Sulawesi chapter to replace Syahrul Yasin Limpo. Syahrul’s dismissal from the position happened after his defeat to Novanto in last year’s chairmanship race. Novanto’s camp said that Syahrul was dismissed because the latter’s term. But a source told us that Syahrul was dismissed because he’s close to VP Kalla and Syahrul had refused Novanto’s and Luhut’s call to not run in the chairmanship election. On top of that, Novanto himself has confirmed that Golkar would endorse Nurdin Halid as their governor candidate for South Sulawesi’s 2018 election. Novanto made confirmation as he delivered his speech in front of thousands of Golkar supporters in Watampone, Bone, South Sulawesi, back on October 21, 2016.

As such, Ichsan Yasin Limpo may enter South Sulawesi’s 2018 election with other political parties. At the moment, Ichsan is reportedly approaching PAN and PPP. But even if he gets PAN’s and PPP’s support, he must still find additional support from at least one more political party. Knowing his and his family’s influence in the province, however, that task should not be difficult to accomplish.

By Haryanto Suharman

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