How Indonesia's outgoing Jokowi steered son Gibran to vice presidency

By Kate Lamb and Ananda Teresia

JAKARTA (Reuters) - When Indonesian President Joko Widodo was first inaugurated in 2014, his eldest son didn't want to be there.

Gibran Rakabuming Raka, then 27, had spent much of his life outside the limelight and "didn't agree with his father's decision to enter politics," said Andi Widjajanto, a former top adviser to Widodo. Gibran only showed up after his paternal grandmother twisted his arm. 

On Oct. 20, the once-reluctant princeling will be at another inauguration ceremony - this time as the vice president of retired Gen. Prabowo Subianto, 72, who is succeeding his father as the leader of the nation of 280 million.

 Reuters spoke to 15 people, including half a dozen senior government officials and political advisers who worked closely with Gibran, Prabowo and Widodo. 

Six of them described how Widodo steered his introverted 37-year-old son into politics as part of an effort to maintain influence after leaving high office. Four also detailed how Prabowo began courting his former rival's son nine months before a court controversially adjusted the age of eligibility for office, allowing Gibran to run.

Many of the people spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to talk to media.

Spokespeople for the outgoing president, better known as Jokowi, as well as Gibran and Prabowo did not return requests for comment. 

The vice president has few statutory powers, so Gibran's influence will depend on his relationship with Prabowo. Reuters could not determine what his responsibilities are likely to be but five people close to the president-elect said positions focused on digitizing the economy, overseeing the new capital or Prabowo's flagship food program were being considered.

Gibran will be Indonesia's youngest vice president after serving just three years as mayor of a small city. 

"People say that most likely he will be a lame duck," said Firman Noor, a political researcher at the National Research and Innovation Agency government think-tank. 

PANCAKES AND POLITICS

Political dynasties are not a new phenomenon in the world's third-largest democracy: Former president Megawati Sukarnoputri was the daughter of Indonesia's founding father and Prabowo was married to a daughter of the late dictator Suharto. 

But Widodo's humble origins as the son of a small-scale timber seller and prior lack of ties to Indonesia's political establishment appealed to many voters and helped him win two presidential contests. 

Until Gibran announced his mayoral run in 2019, Widodo's son was not actively engaged in politics. He was busy running food-related businesses, including one selling pancakes stuffed with chocolate and cheese.

By then, Widodo was well into his second term and constitutionally barred from seeking a third. He was also increasingly anxious about securing his power base outside the presidential palace, said six people with knowledge of the matter.

Allies of the popular Widodo previously floated the idea of a third term or term extension for him, but the efforts were unsuccessful. 

Widodo's two predecessors continued to wield influence after leaving office by leading political parties, but he lacks a similar machine of his own.

The president started pushing his son to run for mayor of Solo, a town of 500,000.

Gibran was initially disinterested, said six people familiar with the matter, including Widjajanto, who remembered Gibran as "unambitious" and a "bit of a loner." 

But Gibran warmed up, partly inspired by his brother-in-law Bobby Nasution, who was developing a prominent regional profile as mayor of another city, one of the people said. He ran and won as a candidate for the Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), on whose ticket Widodo was elected for president.

Ties between Widodo and PDI-P broke down last year partly because party chairwoman Megawati refused Widodo's attempts to extend his time in office, said party secretary Hasto Kristiyanto. He also called Widodo's support for Gibran's vice presidency "indirectly... a way for him to extend his term."

The split led Widodo and his son into Prabowo's camp.

An inflection point came in April 2023, when Widodo was informed by Megawati of the party's presidential nominee just a day before the announcement. The president took it as an indication that he would not be able to influence the nominee later, five party members and advisors told Reuters.

CONNECTION WITH THE PEOPLE

Gibran doesn't have his father's skill with retail politics, said Firman Noor. "Jokowi has a connection with the people, but Gibran is awkward."

In June, Gibran apologised after giving out notebooks to children during a visit to a school with the face of his young son on the cover, prompting critics to joke that the child was next in line to run for office.

Widodo's advisors warned him in 2020 as Gibran was running for mayor about his poor communication style, according to two people familiar with the conversations.

Widodo acknowledged the concerns but believed the position, which he once held, was a good training ground for national politics, one person said.

One obstacle to the plan was F.X. Hadi Rudyatmo, PDI-P's Solo chief. He initially did not support the decision to nominate Gibran, Hasto Kristiyanto told Reuters. 

In an effort to placate the official, Widodo offered him a deputy minister post, which he declined, Hasto said. 

Hadi didn't respond to a request for comment.

The president also summoned his influential volunteer network Projo to help Gibran's campaign, said one person familiar with the efforts. Panel Barus, a senior official with the group, said that Projo acted on its own accord. 

Gibran's defenders say he has improved as a political communicator. Most observers agree he performed well against two more experienced rivals during vice presidential television debates this year. 

"He doesn't speak a lot, but he is a good listener," said former East Java deputy provincial governor Emil Dardak, part of the team that advised Gibran. "He listens and digests and then he makes a decision."

THIRD TIME LUCKY

Determined to win the presidency after two consecutive losses to Widodo, Prabowo began turning to Gibran in January 2023, said two sources close to both politicians. 

At that time, presidential and vice-presidential candidates had to be at least 40. But nine months later, the constitutional court created an exception to the age limit, enabling Gibran's candidacy.

The court's chief justice was Anwar Usman - Gibran's uncle, and Widodo's brother-in-law. He was later found guilty of ethical violations for presiding over the case, in which he had a conflict of interest, but the ruling stood.

Spokespeople for Prabowo and Widodo denied involvement in the court's decision.

Even before the court ruling made Gibran eligible, presidential hopeful Prabowo was courting him as a running mate. Prabowo asked Gibran to be his running mate seven times, including once by letter, one of the people said, adding that Gibran agreed after the third request. 

But Widodo, who had picked his former rival to be his defence minister, was still assessing who to support. 

His uncle Setyawan Prasetyo urged him to step down gracefully instead of aligning with Prabowo, who was dismissed from the military in the 1990s amid allegations of rights abuses, two people said. The president-elect has always denied wrongdoing. 

Prasetyo didn't respond to questions sent via the presidential palace.

Widodo's backing, which was crucial to Prabowo's victory, only came weeks before the registration deadline in October, two sources said.

In the final weeks of his presidency, Widodo faces intense criticism for what experts see as a bid to carve out a political dynasty that would protect his legacy, most notably a $32 billion new capital city plagued with troubles and still under construction.

In August, widespread national outcry forced lawmakers to retract a proposed law change that would have allowed Widodo's youngest son Kaesang to run for Jakarta governor. 

But Gibran has found widespread popularity among Indonesia's Gen Z voters, who make up the bulk of the population, Reuters has previously reported.

Photos taken of Gibran packing up his mayoral office earlier this year went viral, with many posting comments about the toys and collectible figurines he had on display.

"Gen Z loves it," said Emil, the former Gibran advisor. "They look at him and think, 'this guy is me'."

(Editing by Katerina Ang)