Indonesia’s Widodo and son Gibran no longer ruling party members for supporting Prabowo in election: official

The president and his elder son chose not to endorse the party’s presidential candidate Ganjar Pranowo during the election, the official says

While the official adds Widodo and Gibran were not expelled, analysts say the situation is unclear until a senior PDI-P leader clarifies the matter

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Posters of presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto and VP candidate Gibran Rakabuming Raka, son of President Joko Widodo, at a street in Jakarta ahead of the country’s 2024 presidential election. Photo: AFP

Published: 7:30pm, 23 Apr 2024Updated: 3:02pm, 25 Apr 2024

Indonesia’s President Joko Widodo and his elder son are no longer members of the country’s ruling party after they endorsed presidential election winner Prabowo Subianto over the PDI-P’s candidate, according to a party official.

Prabowo, who serves as defence minister in Widodo’s cabinet, won the February election with Widodo’s son Gibran Rakabuming Raka picked as his running mate. They secured 58 per cent of the vote, and their victory was largely attributed to the tacit support of the highly popular president.

Komarudin Watubun, who heads the ethical division of the ruling Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), told Reuters on Tuesday that Widodo and Gibran were not expelled but had ceased to be members after they chose not to endorse the party’s presidential candidate Ganjar Pranowo.

“They decided to be on the opposite side,” Komaruddin said. “Regardless of what happened, [Widodo] reached the highest career level in the party, he has become president. We want to preserve his dignity,” he said.

Widodo has over the past two decades relied on the PDI-P as a political vehicle, becoming the mayor of Solo, Jakarta governor and a two-term president with the support of his long-time patron and the party’s chairwoman Megawati Sukarnoputri. Gibran has also served as Solo mayor since 2020.

Relations between Widodo and PDI-P leaders became strained during the election season, with some officials suggesting he had chosen to cement his legacy over the interests of the party by supporting Gibran’s political ambitions.

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