Jokowi’s first public political tour signals he is not done trying to shape Indonesia’s future

Aditya believes that Jokowi’s Lampung visit also serves as a vehicle to restore Gibran’s political visibility as the latter does not often appear to be given significant responsibilities within the Prabowo administration.

Aditya said there were signs that Prabowo’s camp was not entirely comfortable with Jokowi’s renewed political activities, given the brief public statements that appear to be issued “out of courtesy” for the former president.

Deputy general chairman of Prabowo’s Gerindra Party, Prasetyo Hadi – who is also the state secretary – was asked by journalists to comment on Jokowi’s tour.

“We from Gerindra, we congratulate him (Jokowi) because it means he’s healthy again, as he was a bit unwell before,” Prasetyo told journalists on Jun 26.

“And as a figure and statesman, I don’t think there’s a problem either.”

Ray from Lingkar Madani, meanwhile, stressed that Prabowo’s camp had the strongest reason to monitor these political developments closely.

He said Jokowi could be preparing multiple political scenarios for Gibran ahead of 2029, including the possibility that the vice–president could eventually run alongside another presidential candidate if Prabowo chooses a different running mate.

Gibran’s latest move – such as meeting student protesters to hear their demands amid concerns about the economy following the stock market rout and the rupiah’s weakening – appears intended to gain public sympathy.

But Wasisto from BRIN cautioned against reading too much into current alignments.

He said that despite Jokowi’s support for the duo for another term, there was no guarantee they would remain on the same ticket in 2029, noting that Indonesian politics can shift significantly over the course of a presidential term.

“There is no 100 per cent guarantee for that because the 2029 election contest could change drastically from current projections,” Wasisto said.

The latest moves appear to signal that Jokowi is intent on establishing dynastic politics, a trend that is pervasive in Indonesia. 

Indonesia’s fifth president, Megawati, is the daughter of the country’s founding father Soekarno. Meanwhile, Megawati’s daughter Puan Maharani, is the current speaker of parliament. 

Separately, Indonesia’s sixth president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has two sons who are also in politics. 

His eldest, Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono, is the current coordinating minister for infrastructure and regional development, while his youngest, Edhie Baskoro Yudhoyono, is now serving as vice-chairman of the people’s consultative assembly.