Hello friends!
A big weekend of moving forward, so we’ll crack straight into it.
Be back Wednesday for the final word on the Prabowo Subianto-Gibran Rakabuming Raka pairing as the registration deadline hits.
A quick note from the courts
If there’s a minimum age requirement to run for president or vice president, should there be a maximum age? That’s what the Constitutional Court has been pondering and today they’ve decided: nah. If the court ruled in favour of petitioner Rudy Hartono, candidates would have to be at most 70 years of age to run. For Prabowo Subianto, who celebrated his 72nd birthday at the start of the month, this would have him on the bench for good. Well, no bother. Clear stretch now.
Head over to Tempo today to read the magazine’s damning editorial on last week’s decision to grant exceptions for 35 to 39-year-olds who have significant public life experience to run. The Constitutional Court has become the 12th player in the Pilpres football game, the magazine writes. The Court rejected a whole bunch of challenges but took on this one — filed by a university student who had tried to withdraw it, before cancelling that withdrawal. Tempo goes deeper than just this game-changing ruling, but there’s one thing the editorial board really wants to see: Anwar Usman pushed aside by the Constitutional Court Honorary Council. Oof.
Gibran is a go (or at least, close enough to count it)
The more emotionally well-adjusted of my friends say they won’t count it as official OFFICIAL until Gibran Rakabuming Raka, the eldest son of President Jokowi, as Prabowo Subianto’s running mate until the pair put their names down on the list at KPU. That’s (probably) not until Wednesday and I simply cannot wait that long — the nervous energy has gotten the better of me.
Prabowo Subianto, flanked by party leaders from his coalition, made the announcement last night. Crucially, Gibran wasn’t there. Prabowo told media he was needed back in Solo, where he is serving as mayor, but it made for an odd photo shoot.
Don’t read too much into it, however. Coalition members have embraced Gibran for the ticket — Golkar boss Airlangga Hartarto said party cadres backed him on ‘consensus.’ It’s been widely speculated that Gibran will pick Golkar as his new party home once PDI-P inevitably gives him the boot (more below).
Jokowi, for his part, has tried to remain hands-off. Or to look hands-off, at least. “[Picking presidential pairings] is the authority of a political party or a coalition of parties, not the President’s. As a parent, our task is only to pray and give our approval [to our children],” he told media from the sidelines of an event in East Java yesterday, as per the Jakarta Post.
Still, the pairing — and the Constitutional Court decision that paved the way — has kicked off furious accusations of dynasty-building and nepotism across the political spectrum. The perceived gaucheness of what has happened with Gibran is one thing, but Prabowo himself is also a nepo baby. Call him the old money to Gibran’s brand new.
Prabowo’s father, Sumitro Djojohadikusumo, was a longtime midcentury minister under Sukarno and Suharto is a fascinating icon of Indonesian history. (I hate to link Wikipedia, but if he’s a new name for you give it a perusal) Prabowo’s brother, Hashim Djojohadikusumo, is a very prominent businessman and cadre within Gerindra. Two of his kids are also involved in the party, including Rahayu Saraswati who I really rate.
That’s not the whole shebang, but I’ve written and read too many versions of that exact paragraph since 2014 and my brain can’t do it again. You get it! He married Suharto’s daughter for a bit too.
Side bets on the PDI-P vs. Jokowi clan, anyone?
PDI-P is, uh, not happy. The fall-out is still to come, but party secretary general and Megawati Sukarnoputri’s heavy-hitter Hasto Kristiyanto has warned against candidates who want to take shortcuts in unusually blunt comments to Tempo.