Jakartapost-Jan 27, 2023
President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo is poised to see both his sons follow in his political footsteps in the 2024 simultaneous elections. His youngest, Kaesang Pangarep, is planning to contest the regional head elections, while his eldest Gibran Rakabuming Raka says he is ready to run in a gubernatorial race. Gibran said his younger brother would also run for a regional office. “There, I’ve leaked it. I am confused and astonished,” the Surakarta mayor told reporters in the Central Java city, as quoted by Detik.com on Wednesday. Asked whether Kaesang was planning to run for Surakarta mayor, Gibran said he had no idea. Jokowi embarked on his political career by clinching the mayoral seat of his hometown in 2005. He then went on to win the Jakarta governorship in 2012 and just two years later, the 2014 presidential election. Gibran won the Surakarta mayoralty during the 2021 regional elections, 16 years after his father’s career-making victory. Earlier, Gibran said Kaesang had revealed his political ambitions during a family dinner on Monday at Jokowi’s private residence in Surakarta. Kaesang has previously said he was not interested in entering politics, because he was busy taking care of his businesses in the food and beverage (F&B) industry. Now 27, Kaesang launched several F&B ventures before he had graduated university, including Sang Pisang and Ternakopi. With elder brother Gibran, he also founded Mangkok Ku restaurant in collaboration with celebrity chef and culinary entrepreneur Arnold Poernomo. He is also listed as the majority shareholder of the Persis Solo soccer club based in the family’s hometown, which is in the country’s top league, Liga 1. Another shareholder in the club is State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) Minister Erick Thohir, who also organized Kaesang’s wedding last December. Gibran thought that his younger brother’s interest in politics grew after observing some of their father’s activities, such as when the President inspected urban developments in Surakarta, also known as Solo. Read more at: https://www.thejakartapost.com/indonesia/2023/01/27/jokowis-sons-shift-into-higher-political-gear.html.
