JAKARTA – Indonesian President Joko Widodo and his son, incoming vice-president Gibran Rakabuming Raka, are no longer members of the country’s largest party after they backed rival candidate and election winner Prabowo Subianto, a party official said on April 23.
Their exit will put the spotlight on the next moves of the popular Jokowi, as the outgoing President is known, whose backing for Defence Minister Prabowo was widely interpreted as a move to retain political influence and preserve his legacy after a decade at the helm.
Mr Komarudin Watubun, who heads the ethical division of the Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), said Mr Widodo and Mr Gibran were not expelled but ceased to be members when they decided not to endorse PDI-P’s presidential candidate Ganjar Pranowo.
Helped by Mr Widodo’s tacit endorsement and with Mr Gibran as running mate, Mr Prabowo won by a huge margin in the Feb 14 election, taking 58 per cent of the vote, compared with Mr Ganjar’s 16 per cent.
Mr Komarudin told Reuters: “They decided to be on the opposite side.
“Regardless of what happened, Jokowi reached the highest career level in the party, he has become president. We want to preserve his dignity.”
The President’s Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Mr Widodo joined PDI-P in 2004 to run for mayor of Surakarta and won two terms. He was later elected Jakarta governor and became president for two terms with PDI-P’s backing. Mr Gibran has also served as Surakarta mayor since 2020.
Mr Widodo’s backing of Mr Prabowo has created tension between him and PDI-P, which will remain the biggest party in Parliament following the election.
Mr Widodo has yet to discuss his political plans but, according to several sources, he wants to take over the second-biggest party, Golkar, a move that could see him retain sizeable influence and potentially counterbalance that of old rival Prabowo when he takes office in October.
Mr Prabowo’s current coalition comprises 48 per cent of seats, and senior aides have said he aims to expand that to command a majority. Several parties, such as Nasdem, which backed another candidate, have already held talks with him.
Speculation is rife that PDI-P chairwoman Megawati Sukarnoputri, a political heavyweight, could soon meet Mr Prabowo to discuss joining his coalition amid the ongoing rift with Mr Widodo. REUTERS
