Jakarta, IO – After it was announced recently that the president’s oldest son, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, was selected by Prabowo Subianto’s political coalition to become Prabowo’s running mate for next year’s presidential elections, there was an uproar in parts of the media. Critics are claiming that Jokowi is trying to build a political dynasty and arguing that it is undemocratic.
But such charges are spurious. While political dynasties in closed political systems such as the Kim family in North Korea or the Castro family in Cuba only perpetuate oppressive rule, in democracies there are very few if any negative connotations when talking about family dynasties in politics.
Many families such as the Nehru-Gandhi family of India and the Bhutto-Zardari family in Pakistan have ruled for at least 15 out of the past 50 years in their respective countries Both countries are electoral democracies and both families have produced some outstanding leaders.
One example is 35-year old Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, son of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto and former President Asif Ali Zardari, and the grandson of former President Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto. Bilawal, who recently served as Pakistan’s minister of foreign affairs and chairs his country’s third largest political party, the Pakistan People’s Party, was asked by CNN about nepotism and his family’s dynasty. Bilawal quipped “I didn’t chose this life, it chose me”.
Another example is the Kennedy family in America. Joseph and Rose Kennedy, the patriarch and matriarch of the family, had nine children, including John F. Kennedy, who served in both houses of the Congress and eventually as US president John’s brother, Robert, served as US Attorney General and a senator. Their brother Ted Kennedy served as a senator for 46 years. Other Kennedy’s have served as ambassadors, state legislators and inside the US Congress. And finally Robert F Kennedy Jr,, an environmental lawyer and writer, is an independent candidate in the upcoming 2024 US presidential election. With all of these prominent family members one might occasionally hear critics charging them with dynastic politics, yet for the most part Americans are not critical and have a deep respect for the family and their accomplishments in public office.
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When it comes to Indonesian politics there are other families besides the Widodo family that are involved in politics. Megawati Sorkarnoputri followed in her father’s footsteps in becoming Indonesia”s fifth president and is known to be keen to have her daughter, Puan Maharani, who serves currently as the speaker of the house for the National House of Representatives, to perhaps rise to the presidency one day. And Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who was Indonesia”a sixth president, is looking for his son, Agus, to play a prominent role in national politics in the future.
As for Gibran, who served as mayor of Surskarta until recently, his list of accomplishments after just two years in office are impressive. During his short tenure he has managed to make major improvements in Surakarra’s social and cultural life, modernize and improve its infrastructure as well as bring prestigious sporting events to the city. These are the accomplishments that voters will be looking at and not pay much attention to the opposition’s talk about political dynasties.
James Van Zorge is a Business consultant in Indonesia that has worked for the Harvard Institute for International Development, Food and Agriculture Organization, McKinsey & Co., and A.T.Kearney’s Global Business Policy Institute. He completed his BA in International Relations, summa cum laude, at the State University of New York at Albany, and he holds a Masters of Public Policy, International Economics, from the Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University