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View all search resultsPrabowo says he never hated Jokowi despite previous rivalry
Presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto emphasizes his strong bond with President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo despite enduring two defeats in the previous presidential elections.
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Then Central Java governor Ganjar Pranowo (right) takes a selfie with President Joko “Jokowi“ Widodo (third from left) and Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto (fourth from left) during a rice harvest in Kebumen, Central Java, on March 9, 2023. Before the campaign season started, Jokowi had tried to unite Prabowo and Ganjar as one presidential ticket, but the proposal was turned down by the Gerindra Party and the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), the political parties that support the two politicians. (The Jakarta Post/Presidential Palace)
Presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto has emphasized his friendship with President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo by insisting that they never mocked or spoke badly of each other when they competed in the 2014 and 2019 presidential elections.
Prabowo added that he was confident his established friendship with Jokowi was one that would never be broken.
"I have been Pak Jokowi's rival twice. However, did either Prabowo or Jokowi hate the other? Mock each other? When we were [in presidential debates], we did it politely. We never hated each other," he said on Sunday during a campaign event in Bandung regency, West Java, as quoted by Kompas.
Prabowo was indirectly referring to the sour third election debate that saw him engage in a war of words with presidential candidate Anies Baswedan. While Anies bashed Prabowo's performance as defense minister and questioned him about values, Prabowo lambasted Anies’ programs, calling them "normative" and too theoretical.
This election marks Prabowo’s third run for the presidency, on the two previous occasions Prabowo was defeated by Jokowi.
Prabowo, who is now paired with Jokowi’s son Gibran Rakabuming Raka, said he is determined to pick up the baton from Jokowi, carrying on the good work that has been done by the current administration. Prabowo added that the political parties in the Onward Indonesia electoral alliance were those aligned with Jokowi.
According to Prabowo, under Jokowi’s rule, Indonesia's economic growth became one of the highest while its inflation rate remained under control.
