IO, Jakarta – Something interesting is about to happen with the contestation of candidates for Mayor of Solo (or Surakarta) for 2020-2025. President Joko Widodo’s eldest son, Gibran Rakabuming Raka was moved to register as a candidate for the Mayor of Solo. This will be followed up after Gibran is officially registered as a PDIP member, Monday (09/23/2019). But unfortunately, the registration for the prospective Solo Mayor has been closed. “I came today to submit the registration form as well as taking the PDIP member card. God willing, I have become part of the PDIP extended family,” he said.
Chairperson of the Surakarta PDIP Leadership FX Hadi Rudyatmo said the couple nominated by the PDIP Surakarta Leadership was Purnomo-Teguh. They were the result of internal party selection. Thus, the name of Jokowi’s son will not be sent to the PDIP National Leadership for a recommendation. “Gibran doesn’t have a chance. We don’t open the registration. We assign the party to do it, and Purnomo-Teguh were nominated by five branches and those below them,” Rudy said.
Gibran said that he would follow the directions and decisions of the party related to his nomination to run in the 2020 Solo regional election. Gibran does not question it even though the Solo City PDIP has supported Achmad Purnomo and Teguh Prakosa. “Later, it can be asked to Mr. Rudy (Chairperson of the PDIP Solo Leadership). What is clear is that I follow the directions and decisions of the party,” he said.
Although the opportunity was lost, the Chairman of the PDIP National Leadership Ahmad Basarah said that Gibran still had the opportunity to become a candidate for the Mayor of Solo, one of which was to register through the PDIP National Leadership (DPP). “In the registration of the prospective candidate, the doors that are open are the Local Leadership (DPC), the Regional Leadership (DPD), and the National Leadership (DPP),” Basarah said at the Parliament complex, Senayan, Jakarta, Monday (23 / 09/2019).
Basarah explained how the DPD is indeed given the authority to recruit prospective regional heads. But still, he said, the decision would be determined at a PDIP plenary meeting. “So there are three registration portals. Therefore, Local Leadership (DPC) has the right to open registration, Regional Leadership (DPD) also opens registrations, as well as the final choice which will be decided in a PDIP plenary meeting,” he explained.
Gibran began his political career from Solo as if imitating the steps of his father who began his political career as Mayor of Solo, then became Governor of Jakarta and President of the Republic of Indonesia. Even one of the things that prompted Gibran to register as Solo Mayor candidate was the Public Policy Laboratory survey in July 2019 that says both Gibran and his younger brother Kaesang Pangarep had good electability and a high chance of leading Solo. (Dan)