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Analysis: Regional elections entrench ex-president Jokowi’s political position
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President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo (center) gestures on Sept. 20 among a crowd of onlookers during a price inspection visit to Dukuh Kupang Market in Surabaya, East Java. (Antara/Rizal Hanafi)
T
he results of the Nov. 27 regional elections have further entrenched the position of former president Joko “Jokowi” Widodo in national politics for the next five years and beyond. This bodes well for his main political agenda, which is to prepare his eldest son Gibran Rakabuming Raka for the 2029 presidential race.
Quick counts of the more than 500 simultaneous elections show victory for many of Jokowi’s chosen candidates, including friends and relatives. When they take their place in January as heads of the provincial, regency or mayoral administrations, which enjoy strong autonomy from the central government, there is no doubt where their political allegiance will be.
They will add to Jokowi’s political clout and influence that he has built for himself in the current administration of President Prabowo Subianto, who succeeded him in October.
Jokowi, president from 2014-2024, still exercises power and influence through 37-year old Gibran who is the vice president, through his control over Golkar, the largest party in Prabowo’s coalition government, and through some of the 16 ministers who were reappointed to serve in Prabowo’s expanded cabinet.
A number of justices in the Supreme Court and the Constitutional Court owe their positions to Jokowi, as do the chiefs of the Indonesian Military (TNI) and the National Police. All five members of the new Corruption Eradication Commission were chosen by him.
Jokowi and Prabowo collaborated in the regional elections through the political parties they each control, respectively Golkar and Gerindra, by putting up common candidates to run against those fielded by the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), the lone opposition party in the House of Representatives.
The provisional results suggest they share the spoils, but Jokowi’s chosen candidates won the key provinces of Central Java, East Java and North Sumatra while Prabowo’s picks won West Java and Banten. They appear to have lost the Jakarta gubernatorial race, with their candidate Ridwan Kamil trailing behind the PDI-P’s candidate Pramono Anung. There is still a slim hope however if the Jakarta General Elections Commission agrees to Ridwan’s demand for a runoff vote.
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