Rahayu Saraswati Djojohadikusumo - Photo: Kapanlagi.com

Amid deadlock between the Gerindra Party and the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) over who should fill the vacant Jakarta deputy governor post, the niece of Gerindra chairman and 2019 presidential election candidate Prabowo Subianto has emerged for the position, adding a twist to the competition.

The longtime allies backed Anies Baswedan and Sandiaga Uno in the 2017 Jakarta gubernatorial election, which they won. However, the two parties — which have teamed up again for next year’s presidential elections — are currently at loggerheads, as each seek to have one of their own promoted as deputy governor.

Governor Anies has been working solo for the past month, after Sandiaga resigned from the post to run for vice president.

Now Gerindra lawmaker Rahayu “Sara” Saraswati Djohohadikusimo, who serves in House of Representatives (DPR) Commission VIII, is joining the fray. Sara is the daughter of businessman Hashim Djojohadikusumo, Prabowo’s youngest brother.

The 32-year-old maintained the idea to name her as a prospective candidate was not based on her family connection in the party founded by her uncle. “The initiative did not come from me, nor my family. I don’t have the ambition to run as an executive,” she told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday, adding that she felt honored to be considered for the post by her supporters.

Still, Sara — who is currently running for a DPR seat in next year’s legislative elections — said she was ready if the party assigned the task to her.

“As a politician, I know that in any field and at any level, if it is a mandate, I have to be ready and prepare myself,” she said.

Sara is aware that Gerindra’s central executive board (DPP) has not made a final decision on Sandiaga’s replacement. She said she would follow the party’s mechanism, knowing that fellow Gerindra politician Muhammad Taufik was also vying for the position.

If nominated, Sara, who is a Christian, could be Jakarta’s first-ever female deputy governor. Before joining her uncle’s party as a politician, she was known as a TV host and actress, having been involved in several feature films.

Gerindra Jakarta executive board chairman Taufik, who is also a deputy speaker of the Jakarta Council, has repeatedly claimed that the party nominated him as deputy governor. DPP head Ahmad Riza Patria said Sara and Taufik each had their own charm. Taufik’s experience at the party and the city council gave him an edge. Nevertheless, Ahmad commended Sara as a young female politician serving in the DPR.

Gerindra would bring the names up for discussion with the PKS before making any final decision, he added.

The PKS feels entitled to Sandiaga’s former post based on promises made by Prabowo in return for the party’s support of his bid in the presidential election. The PKS had proposed two of its members, former Bekasi mayor Ahmad Syaikhu and PKS Jakarta executive board secretary Agung Yulianto, to prevent a head-to-head vote with Gerindra in the city council.

Based on the 2016 Regional Elections Law, as the winning parties in the regional election, Gerindra and the PKS have the right to nominate two names, which must be approved by the city council in a plenary meeting.

The PKS, meanwhile, is still upbeat about its candidates amid the quarrel with Gerindra. PKS executive Suhud Alyuddin claimed the party had secured Prabowo’s promise for the Jakarta deputy governor post. “Although there is no written statement, we really hope Prabowo will honor that promise,” he told the Post.

Indobarometer political analyst Muhammad Qodari said Gerindra had a stronger grip on the Jakarta Council than the PKS, hence the odds were likely in Taufik and Sara’s favor. Gerindra and the PKS hold 15 and 11 seats in the council, respectively, out of 106 seats.

Qodari said that, although Taufik had more experience in handling Jakarta, his history as a corruption convict could drag down the party’s image, and it was also questionable whether he could work well with Governor Anies.

Sara, on the other hand, needed to learn a lot but had potential to be Gerindra’s future leader, Qodari said.

____________________

Name: Rahayu Saraswati Djojohadikusumo

Born: Jakarta, Jan. 27, 1986

Political Party: Gerindra

Occupation: Lawmaker at DPR Commission VIII overseeing religious and social affairs and women empowerment.

Education: International High School, College Du leman, Geneva, Switzerland (2003), Bachelor in classics and drama, University Of Virginia, Charloville, Virginia, USA (2005) and Diploma in screen acting, postgraduate level, International School of Screen Acting, London (2007)

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