Dear readers,

On various occasions, President Jokowi has often denied any role in promoting Gibran Rakabuming Raka as the vice-presidential candidate for Prabowo Subianto. However, the supporting parties of the Onward Indonesia Coalition and their volunteers have revealed that Jokowi was actively pushing for the Prabowo-Gibran duo.

Initially, Gibran encountered an obstacle to run as a vice-presidential candidate because he was only 36 years old. Article 169 of the General Elections Law requires presidential and vice-presidential candidates to be at least 40 years old. Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court Anwar Usman then took action. He granted the lawsuit brought by a law student at the University of Surakarta who requested that the article be amended to include the phrase “having been elected in a general election.” Thanks to his uncle’s assistance, Gibran passed.

Once there were no more legal obstacles, Jokowi began to consolidate support for Gibran as Prabowo’s running mate. He persuaded various political parties to support this idea. He paid visits to many people to promote his eldest son as a continuation of his rule. There was only one argument: a guarantee of the continuation of his development programs.

When Anwar Usman read the decision on the General Elections Law, Jokowi was in Saudi Arabia. He requested that the police and his ministers to monitor the negative sentiment towards the decision. The Communication Minister reported that public sentiment was strong and negative, particularly with the focus on Jokowi building a political dynasty.

Due to this, Jokowi asked his volunteers to quickly work on attracting young voters who were the target of Gibran’s candidacy. He mobilized state resources to facilitate his desire to stay in power. Gibran’s candidacy was a way to redeem his failure to change the constitution to add presidential terms or extend his term in office.

Besides Jokowi, the role of Iriana, Gibran’s mother, was also significant. She actively lobbied various parties to support her son’s success in the election. It was Iriana’s request that compelled Jokowi to exert all his political strength to pave the way for their eldest child.

If we look back at the 2020 regional elections, which had many candidates from political dynasties, it seems Gibran has a considerable chance. Voters do not necessarily object to political dynasties, even when the regencies or cities led by dynasty-affiliated leaders lack innovation and experience increased poverty and corruption cases.

Beyond the pressing issue of political dynasties, we also report on other significant matters. These include the environmental damage caused by nickel mining and the entry of new imported garlic players. These are issues that deserve attention but are often overlooked.

Happy reading,

Bagja Hidayat

Executive editor

President Jokowi actively supported the Prabowo-Gibran presidential nomination ahead of the Constitutional Court's decision. A state institution was utilized to support the effort.

President Jokowi has ignored activists' calls regarding dynastic politics. He has given his blessing to the Prabowo-Gibran presidential bid.

Before supporting a Prabowo-Gibran ticket, Jokowi attempted various scenarios to extend his term of office. The idea was thwarted by Megawati.