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[COMMENTARY] Jokowi is smarter than SBY in building political dynasty
I think neither Gibran nor Bobby will directly follow in Jokowi’s footsteps, while SBY’s son stands little chance of fulfilling his father’s ambition.
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Mayoral candidate Gibran Rakabuming Raka (left) and his running mate Teguh Prakosa wave to supporters during a press conference at the Surakarta, Central Java, office of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) on Dec. 9. A quick count shows the pair won 85 percent of the vote in the recent local election. (Antara/Mohammad Ayudha)
W
hile President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo will soon watch his son Gibran Rakabuming Raka and son-in-law Bobby Nasution assume office as the mayors of Surakarta in Central Java and Medan in North Sumatra, his predecessor, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY), has to witness his retired army major son Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono struggling to defend his Democratic Party chairmanship against an alleged “coup attempt”.
What will be your conclusion about Jokowi and SBY in preparing the political future of their children, especially when you relate it with the 2024 simultaneous elections that will include the presidential election? I think neither Gibran nor Bobby will directly follow in Jokowi’s footsteps, while SBY’s son stands little chance of fulfilling his father’s ambition.
Of the seven presidents Indonesia has ever had, founding president Sukarno proved to be the most successful in having his offspring emulate him. Sukarno’s daughter, Megawati Soekarnoputri, not only became the fifth president (2001-2004), but also fully controls the nationalist-oriented Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), now the biggest party in the country.
Megawati is now grooming her own daughter, Puan Maharani, to fill in her shoes not only as future PDI-P chair but also as a future Indonesian leader. You can say anything you wish about Puan’s capacity, but the current House of Representatives speaker stands a great chance of contesting the 2024 election either as a presidential or vice-presidential candidate, simply because the PDI-P holds strong bargaining power.
After Megawati, I think, Jokowi will take his turn. In 2024, his son will likely contest the gubernatorial post in Central Java or Jakarta, while his son-in-law may try his luck in North Sumatra.
Now the public is closely following Jokowi, who some media say is making concerted efforts to build his own political dynasty in order to keep his political clout intact after leaving office in 2024.
SBY has also been grooming his eldest son, Agus, to replicate his success in politics. Jokowi and SBY, however, have chosen very different paths, which is understandable, given their contrasting background. Jokowi comes from a middle-class family that had no connection at all with the country’s political elites, while SBY is a retired four-star general whose father-in-law was a legendary military general.
