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Analysis: Jokowi political dynasty: Kaesang hints at political ambitions
Kaesang Pangarep, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s youngest son, is planning to embark on a political career, following in the footsteps of his father, older brother Gibran Rakabuming Raka and brother-in-law Bobby Nasution.
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The family of President Joko Widodo (right-left), Kahiyang Ayu, Bobby Nasution, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, Kaesang Pangarep attended the Inauguration of the President and Vice President of Indonesia for the 2019-2024 period at the Nusantara Building, the Parliament complex, Senayan, Jakarta, Sunday (10/20) / 2019). (JP/Dhoni Setiawan)
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aesang Pangarep, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s youngest son, is planning to embark on a political career, following in the footsteps of his father, older brother Gibran Rakabuming Raka and brother-in-law Bobby Nasution. With the revelation of Kaesang’s political ambitions, allegations into Jokowi’s attempt to build a political dynasty is once again in the spotlight.
Kaesang is known for his range of businesses in the food and beverage (F&B) industry, with many established together with Gibran, such as Markobar, Chili Pari, Mangkokku and Sang Pisang, which remains Kaesang’s largest business to date. In addition, Kaesang is also listed as the coowner of football club Persis Solo along with State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) Minister Erick Thohir.
Adding to his status as the President’s son, Kaesang also holds a strong digital presence. His active social media activities across Twitter, YouTube and Instagram, where he every so often gives a sneak peek into the daily life of Jokowi and responds to netizens’ comments, have garnered him millions of followers.
According to Gibran, Jokowi’s eldest son and incumbent Surakarta mayor, Kaesang revealed his political ambitions to the family over dinner at Jokowi’s private residence in Surakarta. Kaesang is said to be eyeing for a position at a regional office. When asked specifically whether his younger brother planned to run for Surakarta mayor, Gibran said he had no clue. Furthermore, Gibran revealed that despite his political ambitions, Kaesang was still exploring his options, having also asked Jokowi for his opinion regarding the matter.
In response to Kaesang’s interest in entering politics, Jokowi was reportedly surprised, despite giving his children the freedom to choose a career in a politics. He had emphasized that any of his children’s decisions concerning politics were not his to take as he did not look to influence and interfere in their choices. Jokowi’s words were repeated by Gibran, who was also surprised at Kaesang’s shifting interest. According to Gibran, he gave Kaesang the freedom to choose whichever regional head contest he wanted to follow.
With Kaesang hinting at his political ambitions, a number of political parties have openly expressed their interest and readiness to welcome him. The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), in which Gibran and Jokowi are members, is said to be ready to support Kaesang’s entry into politics as long as his intention is to build the nation. Gibran noted that he did not mind whether Kaesang chose to join a political party other than the PDI-P. However, PDI-P secretary-general Hasto Kristiyanto mentioned earlier that the party had a rule that within one family, there cannot be members that are a part of different political parties.
Another political party said to support Kaesang is the Gerindra Party. The party’s spokesperson Budisatrio Djiwandono said that the party would always support young people, such as Kaesang, who wished to enter politics and fight together for the people of Indonesia. The same can be said for the NasDem Party and the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), who also welcomed Kaesang’s political ambitions by emphasizing the role of young people in politics. However, PKS central executive board head Mardani Ali Sera mentioned that for Kaesang, the principle of justice must be applied as a president’s son had privileges that other youths did not have.
Other political parties that have voiced their opening of doors for Kaesang include the National Mandate Party (PAN), the United Development Party (PPP), the Democratic Party, the National Awakening Party (PKB), the Golkar Party and the Indonesian Solidarity Party (PSI).
What’s more
Kaesang’s seemingly sudden interest in politics has yet again shed light onto the political dynasty building around Jokowi’s family. Previously, Kaesang said he was not interested in entering politics as he was occupied with his businesses. Yet Gibran assessed that Kaesang’s interests in politics may have grown after he observed some of Jokowi’s activities, such as the inspection of urban developments in Surakarta, in which Kaesang was invited to take part in.
Should Kaesang’s political ambitions come true, this would mark the third member of the Widodo family, after Gibran and Bobby, to enter politics.
For starters, Gibran had precisely followed in Jokowi’s footsteps to become Surakarta mayor, taking part in the 2020 regional election with running mate Teguh Prakosa and winning 86.5 percent of votes. Now, Gibran has said he is ready to contest a gubernatorial race in 2024 if he were nominated by PDI-P chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri, though which gubernatorial seat he planned to contest in has yet to be revealed. Gerindra Party chairman Prabowo Subianto said he would support Gribran contesting for Central Java or even the Jakarta governorship.
Gibran aside, Jokowi’s son-in-law Bobby Nasution is the incumbent mayor of Medan, having won the position during the 2020 regional election alongside running mate Aulia Rachman. Just recently, Prabowo met with Bobby and voiced his support for Bobby to run for governor of North Sumatra in 2024.
Regarding allegations of his family’s political dynasty, Gibran said he left it to the public’s judgment. He assessed that elections, namely the regional election, was merely a competition in which a candidate was either elected or not elected. Therefore, the public did not have an obligation to vote for Kaesang.
As for Jokowi, he had previously dismissed such allegations of dynasty building in a 2020 exclusive interview with the BBC. According to Jokowi, a political dynasty was when a family member was appointed to a certain position without going through the process of registering and participating in elections. Jokowi also made a point that he would not campaign for his children.
What we’ve heard
According to a source in President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s circle, Kaesang Pangerap’s plan to enter politics had already been conveyed to the President. He plans to secure an executive position at the regional level and has apparently received Jokowi’s blessings. “The political party that will be chosen [by Kaesang] is still being reviewed”, said this source.
This source further stated that Kaesang’s first choice is to join the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) as there is a rule in the party stating that a family member must join the PDI-P if there are other members of the family that have joined the party beforehand. However, offers from other political parties have also come to Kaesang, including one from the Gerindra Party.
Kaesang is expected to run as a candidate for Surakarta mayor, superseding Gibran. “He will run with FX Hadi Rudyatmo’s son,” said the source. Rudy’s son is Rheo Yuliana Fernandez, an incumbent PDI-P official in Surakarta, who, prior to the revelation of Kaesang’s political ambitions, had been rumored to contest in the 2020 regional elections together with Gibran.
Concerning Gibran, a source in Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto's circle said that the President’s eldest son would be pushed to contest in the upcoming Jakarta gubernatorial election. Prabowo had previously asked Gibran regarding the matter during the Surakarta mayor’s visit to his private residence in Hambalang, Bogor, in mid-2022.
"Gibran answered that he wanted to go to Jakarta because he could appoint the region’s regents and mayors. He also would not need to compete with the candidate in Central Java supported by Bambang Wuryanto," said the source. Bambang Wuryanto, or Bambang Pacul, is a PDI-P executive within the Central Java Regional Representatives Council’s (DPD) in charge of election campaigns.
The topic of Gibran's candidacy was again discussed when the two of them met in Surakarta at the end of January. A source with knowledge of Prabowo's plans said that the Gerindra Party chairman had already expressed his support for Gibran to Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, stating that he supported Gibran to contest in Jakarta instead of Central Java.
Furthermore, to Luhut, Prabowo also expressed his support for Jokowi's son-in-law and Medan mayor, Bobby Nasution, to contest in the North Sumatra gubernatorial election. Prabowo had suggested that Bobby become the region’s governor, however, Luhut requested that the current North Sumatra governor, Eddy Rahmayadi, be given the opportunity to lead two terms. "Bobby is projected to become deputy governor," said this source.
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This content is provided by Tenggara Strategics in collaboration with The Jakarta Post to serve the latest comprehensive and reliable analysis on Indonesia’s political and business landscape. Access our latest edition to read the articles listed below:
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