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Getting to know you: Gibran, Prabowo meeting offers glimpse of future alliances
As President Joko Widodo winds down his second presidential term, analysts believe he is preparing his son, Surakarta Mayor Gibran Rakabuming Raka, to take on bigger roles in the future.
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Gibran Rakabuming Raka (right, foreground) comes out from an elevator after undergoing a confirmation hearing at the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle's (PDI-P) executive board headquarters in Central Jakarta, on Feb. 10. 2020. Gibran, who won the Surakarta mayoral race at the time, has been urged to run for governor in either Central Java or Jakarta, according to observers. (JP/Dhoni Setiawan)
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urakarta Mayor Gibran Rakabuming Raka, the eldest son of President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, attracted much attention over the weekend after he visited his father’s two-time former election rival, Prabowo Subianto, for “light but constructive” talks that have fueled speculation of a political partnership ahead of the 2024 regional elections.
Gibran visited the residence of the Defense Minister and Gerindra Party chairman in Hambalang, West Java, on Saturday, where he was taught how to ride a horse, talked national politics over snacks and coffee and left with gifts of pairs of riding boots for him and his son Jan Ethes.
During his visit, Gibran was pictured on social media taking horse-riding lessons from Prabowo, an avid equestrian. He was also seen greeting Prabowo with the traditional cium tangan (the pressing of an elder’s wrist against one’s forehead), a gesture of respect.
“The visit fulfills an invitation [Prabowo extended to me] when we met several weeks ago during my aunt’s wedding in Solo [Surakarta],” Gibran said on his social media accounts on Sunday, referring to the wedding of Jokowi’s sister Idayati to Constitutional Court Chief Justice Anwar Usman, in late May.
“We chatted a lot; it was a light but constructive discussion. I learned a lot about patriotism, nationhood and statesmanship from him,” he added.
The 34-year-old mayor later told reporters on Sunday that Prabowo had urged him to run for governor in the 2024 elections, albeit without specifying which province. “One of the provinces,” he simply said, when pressed about whether he would run in Central Java.
Speculation is rife that Gibran is likely to follow in his father’s footsteps by contesting the Jakarta gubernatorial election, although he is just as likely to run in Central Java, which is currently led by fellow Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) politician Ganjar Pranowo.
