Not long after Jokowi's eldest son secured a ticket to run for mayor in Surakarta, the President's son in law Bobby Afif Nasution has been nominated for the mayoral race in Medan.
he ruling Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) has nominated President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's son-in-law, Bobby Afif Nasution, and Gerindra Party politician Aulia Rahman to run as the mayoral candidate pair in the upcoming race in Medan, North Sumatra.
PDI-P executive Puan Maharani announced the party's decision on Tuesday during an event that was also attended by her mother and PDI-P chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri.
“For the city of Medan, [the PDI-P nominates] Bobby Afif Nasution and Aulia Rahman. Welcome to the PDI-P, Mas Bobby," Puan said.
Bobby, who secured his PDI-P membership in March, proceeded to thank Megawati and the party executives after the announcement, saying that he and Aulia would carry out the mandate with full responsibility.
"I bring the spirit of collaboration to build Medan, which was born from Bung Karno’s gotong royong [mutual cooperation] spirit,” Bobby said, referring to Indonesia's founding father and first president – and Megawati's father.
Read also: Gibran, exception to PDI-P’s own rules
Besides backing from the PDI-P and Gerindra, the ticket of Bobby -- the husband of Jokowi's daughter Kahiyang Ayu -- and Aulia has also received support from the Golkar Party, the NasDem Party, the Hanura Party, the United Development Party (PPP) and the Indonesian Solidarity Party (PSI).
Aulia is currently a member of the Medan Legislative Council (DPRD).
The pair will run against acting Medan mayor Akhyar Nasution, whose candidacy is backed by the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) and the Democratic Party.
A former PDI-P executive at the party's North Sumatra chapter, Akhyar was fired by the ruling party through a letter dated Aug. 1 after he jumped ship to join the Democrats to contest the 2020 Medan mayoral race.
Bobby's nomination comes after Jokowi's eldest son, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, secured his ticket with the PDI-P to run in the Surakarta mayoral race in Central Java.
Elections are scheduled to take place on Dec. 9 in 270 regions.
Share your experiences, suggestions, and any issues you've encountered on The Jakarta Post. We're here to listen.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts. We appreciate your feedback.
Quickly share this news with your network—keep everyone informed with just a single click!
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!
Get the best experience—faster access, exclusive features, and a seamless way to stay updated.