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Budi Gunawan lays groundwork for Jokowi’s second term
A former adjutant of PDI-P matriarch Megawati Soekarnoputri, Budi is not an ordinary government official.
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Gerindra Party chairman Prabowo Subianto (left) and President Joko (JP/Seto Wardhana)
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t the height of postelection tension during which protests descended into fatal riots in Jakarta, hopes were dimmed that losing presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto and the Gerindra Party would accept defeat in his rematch against incumbent President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo.
The Gerindra chairman, who had competed against Jokowi for a second time, declared victory on election day, despite pollsters’ early counts that predicted the incumbent had secured reelection.
The former army general’s conviction that he had won had driven thousands of his supporters to take to the streets when the General Elections Commission (KPU) announced the official results, confirming Jokowi’s victory with 55.5 percent of the vote, 85 million ballots.
After the KPU announcement, the National Police took strong measures against protesters and rioters, arresting more than 400 people who allegedly instigated or participated in the two days of unrest. Many of them were Prabowo supporters.
It looked surreal when on July 13 Jokowi met Prabowo at an MRT station in Lebak Bulus, South Jakarta, in a landmark gesture of reconciliation.
For the meeting, both camps praised the role of National Intelligence (BIN) chief Budi Gunawan, who established communications between the two camps in May when police began detaining a number of Prabowo supporters for allegedly instigating a “People Power” movement, a series of protests planned by the opposition camp to anticipate the KPU announcing Jokowi’s victory.
Budi was Jokowi’s only aide who could break the communication barrier that shielded Prabowo since his unilateral victory declaration.
