Jokowi Supports Prabowo? PDIP Secretary General: I'm Clearing, That's Not True

President Jokowi together with Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto and Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo / PHOTO IST

The PDI-P (PDIP) stated that it was not true that President Joko Widodo (Jokowi), who is a PDIP cadre, chose Prabowo Subianto as his presidential candidate for the 2024 election. PDIP Secretary General Hasto Kristiyanto said this when answering reporters' questions on the sidelines of the West Sumatra PDIP DPD Working Meeting, in Padang City, Tuesday, July 4. “Pak Jokowi chose Pak Prabowo? So I will straighten it out. That's not true, Hasto said in an electronic message received in Jakarta. Hasto stated that President Jokowi's actions regarding the names of the presidential candidates must be seen as an effort to ensure that the national situation remains safe and conducive ahead of the change of national leadership. "Pak Jokowi in his capacity as president, (just wants to) ensure that the process of changing leadership in the future goes well," said Hasto. Hasto also reminded the PDI-P through the last Rakernas III, confirming that what President Jokowi did; both policies, legacy, and programs will be continued by Ganjar Pranowo. Because in the context of maintaining this conducive national situation, PDIP supports the president's steps to be kind to the existing presidential candidates. Hasto confirmed that Jokowi as a PDIP cadre is certainly in line with party policies. "But of course he is part of the PDI-P's extended family who have given special directions regarding the winnings of the Legislative Election and the winning of Mr. Ganjar in the last III National Working Meeting, our task is to describe the directives from President Jokowi, which are very good, which are very constructive for the winning of the PDI-P and Pak Ganjar Pranowo, in Pak Jokowi's capacity as the big family of the PDI-P,” explained Hasto.

Meanwhile, the Chairman of the West Sumatra PDIP DPD Alex Indra Lukman said that there was an attempt to install certain presidential candidates or billboards with Jokowi in a number of areas, possibly as an effort to convince Jokowi that they were supported. But he highlighted that in the area where Jokowi was weak in the two billboard presidential elections, there was no one. "In Mr. Jokowi's pockets, the entire picture is installed with Mr. Jokowi. In West Sumatra it doesn't exist. Maybe because Pak Jokowi's voice in West Sumatra is very small. Only 23 percent in 2014, 2019 fell to 14 percent," said Alex in one of his remarks.