President Prabowo Subianto (left), who also chairs the Gerindra Party, and former president Joko “Jokowi“ Widodo pose on stage during the party's 17th anniversary in Bogor, West Java, on Feb 15, 2025. - Photo: AFP
JAKARTA: President Prabowo Subianto met with his predecessor, former president Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, on Saturday (Oct 4) at his private residence in South Jakarta, in what officials described as part of a continuing tradition of maintaining ties between the two leaders.
Confirmation of the meeting first came from Jokowi’s aide, police Comr. Syarif Muhammad Fitriansyah, who said that Jokowi, during a visit to Jakarta, had stopped by Prabowo’s Kertanegara residence.
State Secretary and presidential spokesperson Prasetyo Hadi later gave a brief glimpse into the talks, saying Jokowi had shared advice with Prabowo on handling national matters, though he did not go into details.
“Of course, many national issues were discussed, including [Jokowi] offering advice on how certain matters should be addressed moving forward. The meeting between the two leaders lasted for about two hours,” Prasetyo said on the sidelines of Sunday’s Indonesian Military (TNI) anniversary celebration, as quoted by Antara.
He emphasised that the gathering was not unusual and was part of a long-running practice of silarutahmi (communal bonds).
“When Prabowo visits Central Java, he often stops by [Jokowi’s private residence in Surakarta]. This time, it just so happened that Jokowi was in Jakarta, and the two arranged to meet over lunch,” Prasetyo added.
The meeting underscored the ongoing political relationship between the seventh and eighth presidents.
Toward the end of his second term, Jokowi leveraged his popularity to help Prabowo and Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka, his eldest son, win last year’s presidential election.
Since the transition of power in October last year, Prabowo has continued to hold regular meetings with Jokowi in both formal and informal settings.
Prior to Saturday, the two last met on July 20, when Prabowo visited Surakarta to attend the Indonesia Solidarity Party (PSI) congress.
The two-day congress, attended by Jokowi on the first day and Prabowo on the second, concluded with the reelection of Jokowi’s youngest son, Kaesang Pangarep, as party chair.
While speculation of tension between the two has occasionally surfaced, both Jokowi and Prabowo have rejected suggestions of a rift as an attempt to sow division.
They have repeatedly affirmed that their relationship remains cordial. Observers see gestures from both sides as signs of mutual accommodation.
Prabowo’s recent decision to formally designate Nusantaram, widely regarded as Jokowi’s legacy project, as Indonesia’s “political capital” by 2028 through a presidential regulation was read as an effort to maintain continuity with his predecessor’s vision.
On Jokowi’s part, the former president praised Prabowo’s debut speech at the United Nations General Assembly late last month, calling it a strong representation of Indonesia’s role in the global arena.
He has also begun mobilising his extensive volunteer networks to support Prabowo and Gibran for a second term, even as the new administration is still in its first year.
Several parties in Prabowo’s ruling coalition, however, said it is too early to discuss a Prabowo–Gibran reelection bid, urging Jokowi to allow the President to focus on governance and warning that his comments could create unnecessary political distractions. - The Jakarta Post/ANN
