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What will happen now Jokowi has scored triple victory in election?
People who are unhappy with his consistent intervention in the elections and the election results will not forgive Jokowi.
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President Joko “Jokowi“ Widodo (right) and his wife Iriana cast their ballots during the presidential and legislative elections at a polling station at the State Administration Agency in Jakarta on Feb. 14, 2024. (AFP/Mas Agung Wilis)
"Prabowo wins," The Jakarta Post wrote in its front-page banner of the Feb. 15, 2024 edition. But the biggest winner is actually President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo. The history of Indonesia will write him as the first and only outgoing Indonesian leader to score a triple victory in one general election. But at what cost?
Although we still have to wait for the official results that will be based on manual counting of the votes by the General Elections Commission (KPU), all credible pollsters have declared Prabowo Subianto the winner of the presidential race in only one round. The official announcement sometime in March will be just a formality.
Jokowi's first victory is helping Prabowo win his first election after four attempts and a 15-year wait. Whether you like it or not, as a kingmaker Jokowi played a pivotal role in determining the election results, using all the powers at his disposal.
His second success is to prove fifth president Megawati Soekarnoputri, the matriarch of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) and his erstwhile mentor, wrong about him. She repeatedly and loudly scolded Jokowi in public, saying he would be nobody without the support of the party. Jokowi ran for Surakarta mayor, Jakarta governor and president under the banner of the PDI-P.
Jokowi broke ranks with the party, which nominated Ganjar Pranowo and Mahfud MD in the presidential election this year. The quick counts showed the pair finished third behind the pair of Anies Baswedan and Muhaimin Iskandar in the three-horse race.
The PDI-P looks set to maintain its billing as the largest party since 2014. Whether the PDI-P will opt to play an opposition role as it did during 10 years of Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s presidency in 2004-2014 remains to be seen, now that Jokowi is planning a reconciliation with her.
The third achievement for Jokowi is to build his own political dynasty. He has provided a fast track for his son Gibran Rakabuming Raka, who contested the election as Prabowo’s running mate. Based on the quick counts, Gibran will hold the second-highest office, just three years after becoming Surakarta mayor.
