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Jokowi to celebrate Idul Fitri in Surakarta
Neither the President nor the Vice President will be holding an Idul Fitri open house, which they held annually in the years before the pandemic.
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President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo (center) speaks at the centenary event for Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) in Sidoarjo, East Java, on Feb. 7. The celebration included a cultural carnival, religious rituals and a culinary bazaar. (NU Online/Saiful Amar)
P
resident Joko "Jokowi" Widodo and First Lady Iriana returned to their hometown of Surakarta, Central Java, on Wednesday to celebrate Idul Fitri with their family.
The President departed from Halim Perdanakusuma Air Force Base in East Jakarta in the afternoon, accompanied by only a few staff members. He had instructed all staff from the State Secretariat and the Cabinet Secretary office, who usually accompany him on his trips, to spend the holiday in their hometowns with family.
Bey Machmudin, the secretariat’s deputy for protocol, press and the media, said that as this was the first Idul Fitri after the country lifted all COVID-19 mobility curbs, Jokowi wanted to allow his staffers to gather with their loved ones, since they had accompanied the President during the pandemic.
"The President will celebrate Idul Fitri with his family, Bu Iriana, their children, in-laws and grandchildren," Bey said, as quoted by Kompas.id.
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Meanwhile, Vice President Ma'ruf Amin is set to perform Idul Fitri prayers at the Istiqlal Mosque in Jakarta and to celebrate the holiday in Banten and West Java.
Vice presidential spokesperson Masduki Baidlowi said on Wednesday that the second family would be in Tanara, Banten, for two days and would then stay at Second Lady Wury's house in Cimanggis, West Java, until Tuesday.
"Today, [the Vice President] is still at the official residence until Idul Fitri. Then, [he is scheduled for] prayers at Istiqlal. After that, he will go back to the office and depart for Tanara [Banten] in the afternoon," Masduki said.
Neither the President nor the Vice President will be holding an Idul Fitri open house, which they held annually in the years before the pandemic.
The last time Jokowi held an open house was in 2019. Hundreds gathered in line at the National Monument (Monas) in Central Jakarta some four hours before the start of the event, which was held at the nearby Merdeka Palace.
