The President and the incumbent Sukarta Mayor, who are also father and son, met on Tuesday in Bogor to "talk politics", the latter told reporters afterward without divulging any details.
urakarta Mayor Gibran Rakabuming Raka, the eldest son of President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, had a meeting with his father on Tuesday at Bogor Palace in West Java to discuss national politics and preparations for the 2024 general election.
The pair discussed “many” issues, including “mapping for 2024”, Gibran told reporters afterward at the palace, reported Tempo.
While he did not provide any further details about the meeting, Gibran added that the President gave him feedback.
“It’s provision, so you don’t have to consume it right away, you can [store] it. When you need it, you can open it,” he analogized, speaking in a mix of Javanese and Indonesian.
Prior to his departure on Monday from the Central Java city of Surakarta to Jakarta, Gibran said he was “making preparations”.
“I’ve been going back and forth to Jakarta. It’s not about political parties, it’s something bigger,” he told reporters in Surakarta.
“But it won’t be a surprise. Everybody knows what I’m going to do in Jakarta,” he said.
Earlier this month, Gibran denied rumors that he was planning to run for Jakarta governor, saying he would wait for instruction from Megawati Soekarnoputri, chairwoman of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), of which both he and his father are members.
Speculation has been rife that Gibran was looking to follow in his father’s footsteps by running for Jakarta governor. Another possibility is the Central Java governorship, which is currently held by fellow PDI-P politician Ganjar Pranowo.
Gaining either post could serve as a springboard for an eventual presidential bid.
Former Jakarta governor Anies Baswedan and Ganjar have consistently ranked among the most popular picks for 2024 in public opinion polls.
A survey in October 2022 by pollster Charta Politika found that Gibran was rated the most popular possible contender for Central Java governor, with 37.7 percent of respondents favoring him. (dre)
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