February 7, 2023
JAKARTA – President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo praised on Monday the electoral performance of the Great Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra) and said that the party could in fact win future elections.
Speaking in a recorded video speech delivered for the 15th anniversary of Gerindra, President Jokowi, who in the past weeks has made statements praising the party’s chairman Prabowo Subianto, said the prospect looked bright for Gerindra in 2024.
“I want to congratulate Gerindra for its remarkable achievements. With hard work and improved performance, the Gerindra Party could potentially be on top,” Jokowi said in his speech.
Jokowi also praised Prabowo and thanked him for his willingness to join his administration and thanked Gerindra for the support that enabled the government to accomplish major achievements, including the handling of COVID-19 and the downstream of the metal industry.
“I call on the Gerindra Party to maintain the nation’s unity and work together to deal with future challenges,” Jokowi said.
In November last year, President Jokowi made an off-the-cuff remark that appeared to endorse Prabowo as the country’s next head of state.
Speaking during an event marking the anniversary of the United Indonesia Party (Perindo), President Jokowi said he expected Prabowo to win the presidential election in 2024, the year that his second and final term ends.
In late January, Prabowo returned the favor by making a tour to visit Jokowi’s son Gibran Rakabuming Raka, the mayor of Surakarta, and his son-in-law Bobby Nasution, the mayor of Medan, North Sumatra, and making an endorsement of the two young politicians’ bid for higher office.