TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
PDI-P looking to battle Jokowi camp in Surakarta race: Observers
The succession race to replace vice president-elect Gibran as mayor of Surakarta is shaping up to be one featuring diverse candidates as the PDI-P looks to take the political battle to the Jokowi family's home base.
Change text size
Gift Premium Articles
to Anyone
Share the best of The Jakarta Post with friends, family, or colleagues. As a subscriber, you can gift 3 to 5 articles each month that anyone can read—no subscription needed!
Surakarta King Mangkunegara X (right) walks on Jan. 24, 2023 alongside Surakarta Mayor Gibran Rakabuming Raka (left) and Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto (center) on the grounds of Mangkunegaran Palace in Surakarta, Central Java. (Kompas/Nino Citra Anugrahanto)
November’s regional head election in Surakarta, Central Java, is expected to feature a battle between the mayoral candidates of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) and those backed by President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s camp, according to observers.
The results of a survey by the Analytics Research and Communication Consulting Network (Jarcomm) released earlier this month list several potential candidates for the mayor of Surakarta, Jokowi’s hometown.
Topping the electability list is titular king of Surakarta Mangkunegara X with 31.8 percent, followed by incumbent Surakarta Deputy Mayor Teguh Prakosa with 27 percent and Indonesian Solidarity Party (PSI) chair Kaesang Pangarep, Jokowi’s youngest son, with 23.4 percent.
The 26-year-old king said in March that despite his close ties with outgoing Surakarta Mayor Gibran Rakabuming Raka, Jokowi’s eldest son, the two had not discussed any succession plans for him.
More commonly known as Gusti Bhre, the Surakarta king admitted on Wednesday that he had met with Gerindra Party officials the previous day but that his candidacy was as yet unconfirmed.
“For now, I will focus on my duties at Mangkunegaran [Palace],” he said.
In 2022, the palace hosted a lavish wedding reception for Kaesang and his bride Erina Gudono with 6,000 invited guests, including VIPs and foreign dignitaries.
