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BREAKING: Prabowo names Gibran his running mate
Frontrunner and Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto of Gerindra Party on Sunday named President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s eldest son, Surakarta Mayor Gibran Rakabuming Raka, as his running mate for next year’s presidential election.
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This picture shows a banner featuring many of the political parties campaigning in the upcoming election, at the offices of the General Elections Commission (KPU) in Jakarta on Jan. 31, 2019. (AFP/Adek Berry)
Frontrunner and Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto of Gerindra Party on Sunday named President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s eldest son, Surakarta Mayor Gibran Rakabuming Raka, as his running mate for next year’s presidential election.
The decision came following a meeting between Prabowo and party chairs in the pro-Prabowo camp: Golkar Party’s Airlangga Hartarto, the National Mandate Party’s (PAN) Zulkifli Hasan, the Democratic Party’s Agus Harimurtyi Yudhoyono as well as leaders of non-legislature parties the Star Crescent Party (PBB), Gelora, Garuda and Prima.
“We have reached consensus on naming Gibran as a VP candidate,” Prabowo told a press conference on Sunday evening at his residence in Jakarta.
The 36-year-old Gibran is now eligible to run following a recent controversial Constitutional Court ruling that expanded the candidacy requirements for next year's presidential election to include elected officials under the age of 40.
Gibran has served as Surakarta mayor since 2020, a position once held by his father.
Prabowo and Gibran will register their candidacy with the General Elections Commission (KPU) on Wednesday, the last day of a weeklong registration period.
Two other presidential candidates – popular former governors Ganjar Pranowo of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) and Anies Baswedan signed up with the KPU on Oct. 19, on the first day of the registration period, along with their respective running mates Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Mahfud MD and National Awakening Party (PKB) chair Muhaimin Iskandar.
Prabowo topped a second opinion poll in the space of two days on Friday, though ahead of the ruling party's Ganjar by only a narrow margin as election season kicks off in earnest.
An Oct. 2-10 survey by pollster Indikator Politik Indonesia released on Friday showed Prabowo backed by 37 percent of the 4,300 respondents, with former Central Java governor Ganjar on 34.5 percent and ex-Jakarta governor Anies Baswedan on 21.9 percent. Nearly 7 percent were undecided. A poll of 1,620 Indonesians from Oct. 2-8, released on Thursday by the Indonesia Survey Institute (LSI) had a similar outcome, with Prabowo also at 37 percent, Ganjar at 35.2 percent and Anies at 22.7 percent.
