The Jakarta Post
Like father, like son. Gibran Rakabuming Raka, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s eldest son, is primed to easily rise to political power through the upcoming mayoral election in Surakarta, Central Java, just like Jokowi 15 years ago. Gibran, like Jokowi, has had no experience in politics prior to running but is backed by the ruling Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), which has held Surakarta since Jokowi’s first win. What makes all the difference is now Gibran also has the number one politician behind him. Gibran and his running mate, Teguh Prakosa of the PDI-P, would have gone unchallenged if an independent pair had not entered their bid at the last minute. But how important is the presence of Gibran’s competitors in this election? Gibran becomes more popular despite ‘dynasty’ boos Controversies emerged as a reminder of y...