Congratulations, it’s a boy (president)!

Youthful power: If Gibran were forced by circumstance into the top job, would everything be fine? After all, globally, we’ve seen many able young leaders over the last decade. — AFP

I HAVE been around long enough to remember when Prabowo Subianto was a stalwart of the old New Order, not a cute, cuddly grandpa. Upon hearing of his first-round victory in the Feb 14 presidential elections according to the quick count results, I wondered what would happen if this figure, 72, for some reasons stipulated in the Constitution had to leave his 36-year-old vice president, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, in charge of the fourth most-populous country in the world.

Indonesian voters appear to have spoken loudly and clearly that they want the “good times” under Joko “Jokowi” Widodo to continue by plumping for the pairing blessed by the outgoing President. Gibran’s place on Prabowo’s ticket served as a living, breathing manifestation of the connection to the benevolent glow of the Jokowi administration.