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I'm tired of Jakarta elites: Prabowo
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President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo converses with Gerindra Party chief patron Prabowo Subianto, when the latter visited him at the Presidential Palace in November, 2016. (Antara/Widodo S. Jusuf)
C
hief patron of the Gerindra Party Prabowo Subianto has said he no longer wants to rub shoulders with political elites in Jakarta given their predilection for lies.
"I am done with them. The Jakarta elite, I am sorry to say this, is beyond repair," Prabowo said at a rally to announce a ticket to compete in the 2018 gubernatorial election in West Nusa Tenggara on Monday.
Prabowo also said he had grown tired of the behaviors of political bigwigs in the capital.
"They only give you fake smiles, not like yours. You have real smiles, ones that comes from the heart," Prabowo told his supporters as quoted by kompas.com.
Prabowo, who lost the 2014 presidential election to then Jakarta Governor Joko "Jokowi" Widodo and is expected to run in the 2019 presidential election, also said he preferred to spend his time at home rather than attending parties held by elites.
In April this year, ahead of the runoff to the Jakarta Gubernatorial election, Prabowo gathered a number of party elites and several political figures at his private residence in Kebayoran Baru, South Jakarta
Several prominent figures who joined him at the dinner table included National Mandate Party (PAN) senior politician Amien Rais, Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) chairman Sohibul Iman, former coordinating economic minister Kwik Kian Gie and Betawi figure Ridwan Saidi.
