While Laughing At Jokowi Banks Discourse On Gibran Participating In The Presidential Election: Just The Logic

Indonesian President Joko Widodo (left) gave a statement to reporters on the sidelines of a visit to Sarinah Mall, Central Jakarta, Thursday (4/5/2023). ANTARA/Gilang Galiartha

JAKARTA - President Joko Widodo dismissed the discourse of a number of people applying for the name of their son, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, to accompany Prabowo Subianto in the 2024 presidential election contestation.

Jokowi said that there are at least two reasons why his eldest son, who is currently the Mayor of Surakarta, has not been realistic about being included in the 2024 presidential election.

"First age. Second, only two years as mayor. The logical thing is," said Jokowi as quoted by ANTARA, Thursday, May 4.

Jokowi did not want to respond further to the topic and chose to laugh before responding to a number of other questions.

Gibran is currently only 35 years old and has only started serving as Mayor of Surakarta since February 26, 2021.

However, his political career is quite fast, even the Surakarta City PDI-P DPC will make Gibran a campaigner for the 2024 election victory for the Solo region.

"Later, Mas Gibran, Deputy (Deputy Mayor of Surakarta Teguh Prakosa), and we will approach several community leaders and we will include them in the 2024 election campaigner," said Chairman of the PDI-P Election Winning Body Surakarta Her Suprabu in Solo, Thursday.

The discourse of pairing Gibran with Prabowo certainly cannot be separated from the closeness that Jokowi's eldest son often shows with the General Chair of the Gerindra Party as well as the Minister of Defense.

Gibran in June 2022 made a visit to Prabowo's residence in Bukit Hambalang, Bogor, to fulfill an invitation from the host.

On that occasion, Prabowo had advised Gibran to participate in the provincial or governor-level regional head elections.

Prabowo also conveyed the same thing when he took the time to meet Gibran in Surakarta on January 24, 2023, on the sidelines of a working visit to hand over vehicles and communication equipment for Babinsa Koramil Serengan 03 Surakarta.