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Jokowi acts as open-house host, guest
Back to his roots:: President-elect Joko âJokowiâ Widodo hosts an open house at the residence of his mother Sudjiatmi Notomihardjo (left) in Surakarta, Central Java, Tuesday, as part of an Idul Fitri gathering in which people ask each other for forgiveness
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Back to his roots:: President-elect Joko âJokowiâ Widodo hosts an open house at the residence of his mother Sudjiatmi Notomihardjo (left) in Surakarta, Central Java, Tuesday, as part of an Idul Fitri gathering in which people ask each other for forgiveness. (Antara/Aloysius Jarot Nugroho) (left) in Surakarta, Central Java, Tuesday, as part of an Idul Fitri gathering in which people ask each other for forgiveness. (Antara/Aloysius Jarot Nugroho)
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span class="inline inline-center">Back to his roots:: President-elect Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo hosts an open house at the residence of his mother Sudjiatmi Notomihardjo (left) in Surakarta, Central Java, Tuesday, as part of an Idul Fitri gathering in which people ask each other for forgiveness. (Antara/Aloysius Jarot Nugroho)
President-elect Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo and chair of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) and 'king maker' Megawati Soekarnoputri were magnets for the 'who's who' of the political world during this year's Idul Fitri open house.
For Jokowi, a courtesy visit to Megawati, who backed Jokowi and his running mate Jusuf Kalla in the July 9 presidential election, was a must. Next, he and Kalla, accompanied by their wives, attended a similar gathering hosted by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono at the Presidential Palace.
Megawati welcomed top politicians and businesspeople to her private residence on Jl. Teuku Umar, Central Jakarta, on Monday. This year's open house was apparently her most crowded since losing her presidential seat to Yudhoyono in 2004.
In contrast, Jokowi and his wife Iriana appeared to be more comfortable and relaxed when mingling with the hoi polloi and often seemed uncomfortable socializing with the elites.
Thousands of residents of Surakarta, which is locally called Solo, patiently waited to greet their former mayor during a public gathering in the city on Wednesday. Jokowi and Iriana were seen enthusiastically shaking hands with people, many of whom had lined up for hours. They distributed notebooks to children and a small sum of money to adults.
'When I moved to Jakarta [in 2012], many people here questioned my decision. But when I ran in the presidential race many people voted for me. It means that Solo's residents still love me,' said Jokowi.
The atmosphere was noticeably different when the couple attended a gathering hosted by media tycoon and one staunch-Jokowi supporter Surya Paloh in Jakarta on Monday evening.
Iriana only smiled occasionally and was on several occasions spotted with a far away gaze; while her husband enthusiastically ate everything put in front of him.
Different from her casual, friendly and relaxed demeanor when welcoming guests her husband hosted in his role as Jakarta governor in Jakarta earlier that day, Iriana looked tense throughout dinner at Surya's luxurious private residence.
Like his wife, Jokowi appeared very quiet, only sporadically speaking to those at the table and was mostly focused on eating, which was served by private waitresses. Diners not on the top table, who were packed into the hall outside the aquarium-like exclusive space, could be seen merrily laughing and sharing stories, which also included an argument between party politicians over the best ministerial candidates.
'We talked about nothing but food. We talked and ate. I ate everything put in front of me,' Jokowi told reporters.
Jusuf Kalla concurred, adding that 'although all of us had met earlier in the day [at Megawati's official residence], we were gathered here to enjoy the food.'
Unlike the 'semi-open' gathering at Surya's house, the gathering at Megawati's residence was strictly closed to the public.
'We shook hands, exchanged Idul Fitri wishes and asked for forgiveness. Nothing else,' Coordinating Economic Minister Chairul Tanjung said before jumping in his car to rush home as he himself was due to host a gathering at his residence. (alz)
