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View all search resultsPrabowo slams aide for calling Agus ‘inexperienced’, ‘a kid’
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Standing firm: Democratic Party executive Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono delivers a political speech at the Jakarta Convention Center in Jakarta on June 9. (Antara/Galih Pradipta)
G
erindra Party leader Prabowo Subianto has publicly reprimanded one of his deputies, Arief Poyuono, for calling Agus Yudhoyono, one of Prabowo’s potential vice presidential candidates, too “inexperienced” and “juvenile” to lead the country.
Prabowo issued the statement on Monday, just a day before his scheduled meeting with Democratic Party leader Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, Agus’ father.
“The statement you made is beyond your authority and utterly groundless,” he said in a letter that has circulated online.
“I do not consider [Agus] a kid. His experience within the Indonesian Military and his education here and abroad show that he has the capability,” he said, referring to Agus by his initials.
He instructed his deputy to hold a press conference to retract his statement and to apologize to the Democratic Party.
Speaking to a local media outlet last week, Arief voiced doubt about the possibility of Gerindra forming an alliance with the Democratic Party by fielding a Prabowo-Agus ticket in the upcoming presidential election.
“Leading a country is not a game […] If Prabowo is elected, then Agus would become vice president. What would happen? Is a kid going to manage the country? The nation may collapse,” he said.
Prabowo is currently seeking a coalition partner in order to contest the election and challenge President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo for a second time. With the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) and the National Mandate Party (PAN) reluctant to immediately announce their official endorsement of Prabowo, Gerindra appears to be relying on the Democratic Party to salvage Prabowo’s chances of a presidential bid. (ahw)
