Jokowi’s preferred presidential candidate may be different from PDIP, now he is closer to Prabowo Subianto

TRIBUNPALU.COM – The closeness between President Joko Widodo and Gerindra party chief Prabowo Subianto has attracted public attention recently as it relates to support for the 2024 presidential election.

Bawono Kumoro, a researcher at the Indonesian Political Indicator, expressed his view that Jokowi may support Prabowo’s bid for the presidency.

Jokowi also offers support to Prabowo, and he uses a different political choice than PDI Perjuangan.

Read also: Prabowo’s attitude has changed after three defeats in the presidential election, now approaching Millennials and Generation Z

It is not impossible that President Joko Widodo’s political preferences regarding the future presidential candidate are not the same as PDI-P’s political choices, Bawono told Kompas.com on Thursday (June 29, 2023).

Indeed, said Bawono, as a member of the Bull Party, Jokowi cannot be separated from the PDI-P, which has declared Central Javanese Governor Ganjar Pranowo as its presidential candidate (candidate) in the 2024 elections.

However, as the head of state and the head of the government supported by many political parties, Jokowi may have his own interests.

Bawono also suspects that PDI-P is currently worried about the possibility that Jokowi will support Prabowo and not Ganjari.

The reaction of Puan Maharan and other PDI Perjuanga political elite on the closeness or affinity between President Jokowi and Prabowo Subianto was indeed very normative saying that this affinity was nothing but the relationship between the president and the ministers, Bawono said.

Behind this normative attitude, however, there seems to be a fear of the closeness of President Joko Widodo and Prabowo, he said.

According to Bawono, the closeness between Jokowi and Prabowo has strengthened recently. Both seem close both personally and politically.

In various state activities and regional visits, the president almost always invites the Minister of Defense (Menhan).

Jokowi also never once or twice praised, even gave approval or support to Prabowo.

Recently, Jokowi invited Prabowo to a one-on-one meeting at the State Palace. Within a month, the meeting was organized up to three times.

Prabowo also openly stated that the meeting also discussed political issues and his future plans.