Jokowi's youngest son disqualified from November elections, US trip criticized over protests

JAKARTA: President Joko Widodo's efforts to establish a political dynasty have suffered a major blow after his youngest son was disqualified from November's regional elections due to his age.

At 29, Kaesang Pangarep is under the minimum age of 30 required at the time of candidate registration, which takes place between August 27 and 29. The setback comes after the political scion drew the ire of Indonesians last week.

Public criticism of Kaesang and his wife Erina Gudono increased as the couple flew to the United States by private jet to visit the University of Pennsylvania, where she will pursue a master's degree at the School of Social Policy and Practice on scholarship, while violent street protests erupted in their country.

Social media, especially Instagram, was flooded with insults targeting the couple, who had shared short videos and photos of their trip, with users expressing their dissatisfaction with the trip.

The private jet has also quickly become one of the most talked about topics in the country.

On social media platform X, users pointed out that the plane, a Gulfstream G650ER, belonged to Garena, the gaming arm of Singapore-based Sea.

However, a check on the US Federal Aviation Administration website showed that it is currently owned by a trustee of the Bank of Utah. Records on the aviation website RZJets, which shows the delivery status of aircraft, indicate that the aircraft was initially delivered to Garena on July 15, 2021, before being purchased by the Bank of Utah trust on December 29, 2022.

Sea did not respond to The Straits Times' request for further information.

Apart from the private jet, Indonesians also criticised the couple's ostentatious lifestyle clips, which were shared on Erina's Instagram account.

In one of her posts, she shared a photo of a Rp400,000 (US$26) lobster roll purchased at the Grand Central Market in Los Angeles, California.

This has sparked anger among Indonesian social media users, with the cost of the role being almost a tenth of the minimum wage in Jakarta.

A separate post on Erina's Instagram account showed the expectant couple buying a baby stroller that costs around Rs 21 million, according to the European manufacturer's website.

In recent days, the social media accounts of the various couples have been flooded with comments, numbering in the tens of thousands.

Most of the posts were negative, including one that said: Jokowi (the name Widodo is known by) always tells people to buy local, but this family likes to buy things from abroad. What hypocrites.

Others made comparisons to Marie Antoinette, the last queen of France, who was beheaded during the French Revolution, with some netizens saying “Let them eat brioche”, in reference to a famous quote often attributed to her.

Analysts say Kaesang's absence from the November election is a major setback for Widodo, who despite his popularity cannot resist the will of the people.

Political analyst Djayadi Hanan told ST that Widodo's ambitions to create a political dynasty could be dashed before they even begin.

Currently, the president already has two family members in positions of power, with his eldest son Gibran Rakabuming Raka as the new vice president, and his son-in-law Bobby Nasution running for governor of North Sumatra with the support of President-elect Prabowo Subiantos' party, he said.

Having another person linked to him in power would consolidate his grip, but for now he will have to rethink that, said Dr Djayadi, who added that Kaesang's disqualification poses a significant obstacle to his future aspirations.

A New Type of Political Clan for Indonesia

Widodo's attempts to put his youngest son on the ballot have only drawn public anger, he said, and could shake the president's confidence in establishing a political dynasty.

Protesters led by university students gathered outside Jakarta's parliament building last week, pressuring lawmakers to drop a controversial bill aimed at barring candidates not backed by Widodo and Prabowo from running in November's regional elections.

Protests also took place elsewhere in the capital and other major cities, including Bandung, Surabaya and Semarang, as thousands of people gathered in street demonstrations.

Although he (Widodo) is now president, people have shown their open defiance by going to protests last week, to say enough is enough, Dr Djayadi said.

This shows that although the people hold the power, the real power lies with the people. – The Straits Times/ANN