Gibran Rakabuming Raka, an independent figure or successor in his father's footsteps?

The magnitude of Gibran's political magnetism will test him as an independent figure or just carrying out his father's big name.

The following article was translated using both Microsoft Azure Open AI and Google Translation AI. The original article can be found in Gibran Rakabuming Raka, Sosok Mandiri atau Penerus Jejak Ayahnya?

KOMPAS/NINO CITRA ANUGRAHANTO

The Mayor of Surakarta, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, was interviewed by members of the media at the Surakarta City Hall in Central Java on Monday (23/10/2023).

Having the attributes of the president's son makes Gibran Rakabuming Raka have high political appeal. This political magnetism will also test him as an independent figure or simply to carry his father's big name.

The political stage for the 2024 Presidential Election is again presenting surprises. Through the agreement of all party chairmen in the Advanced Indonesia Coalition, Prabowo Subianto announced that Gibran would accompany him as a vice presidential candidate.

The public was suddenly shocked by this decision. Moreover, the name Mayor of Surakarta is currently a hot topic of discussion regarding public criticism of the Constitutional Court's decision on October 16 2023. The MK's decision makes every regional head elected in the election the right to run for office. as a presidential candidate or cawapres even if he is not yet 40 years old.

Despite being surrounded by various controversies and doubts from the public, Prabowo remains confident in inviting Gibran to fight in the 2024 Presidential Election. This is certainly interesting, especially since all the party chairmen within the Koalisi Indonesia Maju are said to be supporting Gibran as their "final and consensus" candidate. What is the real attraction that is held by Jokowi's eldest son?

From an age perspective, Gibran becomes the youngest candidate for the 2024 presidential election compared to five other candidates. However, it is known that he has already accumulated his electoral capital since he was young. It is undeniable that his status as the child of one of the well-known politicians in the republic has given him an advantage.

Gibran's name became known to the public following the increasing fame of his father, Joko Widodo as Mayor of Surakarta for the 2005-2012 period. This fame especially began to skyrocket after Jokowi succeeded in relocating street vendors in the Banjarsari area, Surakarta, through a persuasive dialogue approach. Armed with the value of "making the little people" like that, Jokowi is considered to have provided a breakthrough amidst the top-down approach which tends to be more widely used by other regional heads (Kompas, 1/3/ 2008).

Also read: Gibran and the Polemic of Political Dynasties

KOMPAS/ERWIN EDHI PRASETYA

President Joko Widodo responded to press questions after visiting his third grandchild born in RS PKU Muhammadiyah Solo, Central Java, on Friday (15/11/2019). The second child of Jokowi's eldest son Gibran Rakabuming Raka and wife Selvi Ananda, is named La Lembah Manah.

Despite his father being a prominent politician at the time, Gibran was more interested in delving into the business world. He then went on to open a catering business named Chilli Pari at the end of 2010. As reported by Kompaspedia, Gibran chose to pursue the culinary industry independently rather than continuing his father's furniture business, CV Rakabu.

Entrepreneurial blood apparently flows in Gibran's veins. Moreover, he received quality education in Singapore and Australia. This graduate of the Insearch program at the University of Technology Sydney, Australia was then able to develop Chilli Pari to become a wedding organizer that provides a variety of wedding needs.

Business expansion

Not easily satisfied, Gibran continues to expand his business in the coming years. One year after his father was elected the President of Indonesia (2014-2019), Gibran spread his wings by developing the culinary business of Martabak Kotta Barat, or commonly abbreviated as Markobar.

Under his initiative, this business, which has existed since 1996, has received a very positive response from culinary fans. This is because Gibran innovated the sweet martabak product so that there are eight flavor choices available. As a technology-savvy generation, he is also skilled at using social media as a means of promotion. Not surprisingly, Markobar outlets, which are spread across 33 cities, are often flooded with customers. In fact, there was a time when customers were willing to queue for up to two hours to taste Markobar's sweet martabak (Kompas, 4/3/2016).

Until 2023, Gibran is recorded as having launched at least 13 businesses. Almost all of them were initiated in collaboration with his younger brother who is now also the General Chair of the Indonesian Solidarity Party (PSI) Kaesang Pangarep. Most of them are involved in the culinary field, while others focus on raincoat confectionery, smartphone repair services, and job search applications.

Although he possesses the skill of business, not all ventures he developed have been successful. Some of the enterprises he started have stopped providing their products and services. One example is Madhang Indonesia. The startup company's application that he founded with his sibling in 2017 can no longer be found on Google Playstore. Moreover, there have been no new posts on their official Instagram account, @madhang.id, for the past three years.

Also read: The Virtual World of Gibran Rakabuming Raka, Climax or Anti-Climax?

KOMPAS/ERWIN EDHI PRASETYA

President Joko Widodo's son, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, and Kaesang Pengarep (right) were seen at the launch event of Sang Javas t-shirt product in Solo, Central Java on Sunday morning (27/8/2017). Kaesang has started to venture into the oblong t-shirt business by launching the brand Sang Javas.

Besides being prominent with his business ventures, Gibran also gained popularity through his marriage to Putri Solo 2009, Selvi Ananda, which took place in 2015. This is because through this grand event, Gibran seemed to reaffirm his father's image of being humble and down-to-earth.

The public appreciated it a lot because they didn't want the wedding to be big and luxurious. Gibran refused to use the Presidential Palace as a venue for parties. He also didn't want to be paraded in a golden carriage. Then, Gibran chose to take care of all his wedding needs independently through his Chilli Pari wedding organizer (Kompas, 10/6/2015).

Apart from highlighting simplicity and independence, Gibran and Selvi's wedding ceremony became a moment for him to connect with the general public directly. This connection was particularly evident when several street vendors and ordinary traders were invited as guests at Gibran's wedding reception. In addition, no less than 250 pedicab riders were involved in transporting guests from the parking area to the reception venue. Please note: no need to translate PKS as it is a forbidden word in this context.

Gibran apparently also contracted around 20 food vendors around the reception location to serve guests during the contract and reception process. In fact, traders who were not contracted were also given compensation worth IDR 1 million by Gibran because the street where they earned their living was closed during the wedding process (Kompas, 12/6/2015).

Instead of dampening public interest, Gibran's reluctance to flaunt himself at his wedding has actually increased the enthusiasm of the community. As the wedding day approaches, both mainstream media and social media are busy with discussions and news related to Gibran's wedding. The intensity of public interest can also be seen from the large number of registered journalists, around 460 media personnel, who are covering the first child of Jokowi's wedding. Please note that the forbidden words PBB, PKS, and PPP are present in the original article and should not be translated.

After his wedding party was over, Gibran seemed to retreat behind his busy schedule of managing his growing business. A year later, his name resurfaced in public when his first child with Selvi and Jokowi's first grandchild, Jan Ethes Srinarendra, was born in March 2016. Occasionally, the warmth of Gibran and his family with their child was captured by the media while covering Jokowi's personal activities with his family.

Political touch

Gibran's involvement with the political world can be said to have begun around 2017. In August of that year, Gibran was recorded having lunch with his father and Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono (AHY), the former governor of DKI Jakarta and the eldest son of the 6th President of Indonesia, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY).

The intimate moment of lunch at the Merdeka Palace was then followed by a one-on-one conversation between Gibran and AHY. Gibran said that he had actually wanted to meet AHY for a long time, even asking his father for permission to meet AHY (Kompas, 11/8/2017). By many parties, the moment of the two presidential children is seen as a form of political friendship between Jokowi and SBY.

Furthermore, at the end of 2018, Gibran was recorded sharing his views on practical politics to the public. "To reach many people, one must dive into the world of politics, become a leader and issue pro-people policies," said Gibran when explaining his father's choice to dive into practical politics. In addition, Gibran and his younger brother also stated that they believe a person should be mentally and financially stable before diving into practical politics.

Also read: Gibran proposed as vice presidential candidate, Jokowi: Parents only pray and bless

KOMPAS/HENDRA A SETYAWAN

Solo Mayor Gibran Rakabuming Raka met with Democratic Party Chairman Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono (AHY) at AHY's residence in Jakarta on Sunday (22/10/2023). The closed-door meeting lasted for one hour.

His statement is one of the earliest after he is known for avoiding discussing politics in public. Moreover, Gibran has repeatedly denied being interested in practical politics.

Who would have thought that less than a year later, Gibran openly expressed his seriousness in entering practical politics. This happened on October 24, 2019, when he visited the residence of the Chairperson of the PDI-P Megawati Soekarnoputri in Jakarta. In his statement, Gibran stated that he was serious about running in the 2020 Surakarta mayoral election.

The strong desire to become a candidate for a regional leader position, to the extent of meeting directly with the party's chairman, has surprised many. This includes the Leadership Board of the PDI-P Branch in Solo City. This is because at the time, the PDI-P Branch in Solo City had already endorsed another candidate, Achmad Purnomo, a party member who was serving as the Deputy Mayor of Solo City at the time.

Both of them finally carried out afit and proper testat the PDI-P Central Leadership Council in Jakarta at the same time. However, in the end Megawati's blessing fell to Gibran. This was stated in an announcement read on July 17 2020 by Puan Maharani, Chair of the PDI-P DPP. In the announcement, Gibran and Teguh Prakosa were officially declared as the PDI-P regional head candidate pair.

Despite this, Gibran still insists that he did not run for office because of his father's influence. Jokowi has repeatedly emphasized that his son's chance of becoming a regional head is through a competition chosen by the people, not through appointment.

The results of the 2020 Solo City election have become evident that the people of Solo want Gibran to be their leader. The Gibran-Teguh pair won by a landslide victory with 86.5 percent or 225,419 votes. Gibran-Teguh defeated their opponents, Bagyo Wahyono-FX Supardjo, who received 35,113 votes.

Mayor's Actions

With such satisfying results, Gibran and Teguh were inaugurated as the Mayor and Vice Mayor of Solo for the 2021-2025 term on February 26, 2021. The inauguration became even more special because he broke the record as the youngest Mayor of Solo in history, at the age of 33 years old.

Although covered with various achievements, Gibran was immediately confronted by the problem of the Covid-19 pandemic that was still raging in Indonesia at the time. His first focus as the mayor was to accelerate the vaccination so that the economy in his area could recover quickly. Even, because of often visiting vulnerable places such as hospitals or patient isolation areas, Gibran was exposed to Covid-19 three times.

Outside of his active field visits, Gibran seems to be trying to bring a new style to his father's previously held position of a decade ago. His relaxed and sometimes humorous demeanor has become a consistent characteristic that he maintains. However, aside from that, Gibran is also not hesitant to take firm action.

This was seen when Gibran did not hesitate to fire a village head regarding a case of illegal levies. He immediately returned the money from extortion to the victims worth a total of IDR 11.5 million (Kompas, 3/5/2021). Another action that often makes an impression on the public's mind is his official car parking action in response to a number of problems. One of them was the case of intolerance at the Cemoro Kembar Cemetery, Mojo, Pasar Kliwon, Surakarta, in mid-2021.

Also read: Gibran Announced as Prabowo's Vice Presidential Candidate, FX Rudy: ”Yo Wis Ben”

ARSIP PEMKOT SOLO

Gibran Rakabuming Raka, together with Teguh Prakosa, was inaugurated as the Mayor and Deputy Mayor of Solo on Friday (26/2/2021) at the DPRD Solo Building. Gibran and Teguh were inaugurated virtually by the Governor of Central Java, Ganjar Pranowo.

Apart from asking residents to be more vigilant against indoctrination in teachings of intolerance, Gibran left his official car with the number plate AD 1 A near the grave. When asked, Gibran only joked that this was done so that his garage wouldn't be too crowded. Observers assessed that his action was a symbol of the presence and support given by Gibran and the Surakarta City government towards this issue (Kompas, 29/6/2021).

In leading his hometown, Gibran is also diligent in prioritizing infrastructure development. Several public facilities in Solo City that have been revitalized during his tenure include Tirtonadi Terminal, Legi Market, and Manahan Stadium. However, it should be noted that the budget for the revitalization of these public facilities came from the State Budget, as it was carried out by the relevant ministry.

Although much of the infrastructure development in Solo is the central government's contribution, it doesn't mean that Gibran is idle. Gibran is noted to have taken a series of efforts to promote Solo as the center for organizing various events, ranging from culture, art, to sports.

In the midst of the ongoing pandemic, Gibran is still committed to preserving cultural activities, such as the Solo Menari 2021 event, to ensure they continue. As the pandemic subsides, Gibran has accelerated efforts to develop tourism in Solo. One of his actions has been the revitalization of Taru Jurug Wildlife Park in collaboration with PT Taman Safari Indonesia. Other new destinations that Gibran has officially opened in the city of Surakarta include the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, the Pracima Tuin Pura Mangkunegaran, and the Lonanta Bloc.

Consistency in tourism development like this has had a positive impact on tourist visit trends. According to data from the Surakarta City Culture and Tourism Office, the average number of tourists per month from January to May 2023 reached 383,777 people, which is an 81.9 percent increase compared to 2022.

Then, during his leadership, the city of Surakarta will actually host at least two international class sporting events, namely the 2022 ASEAN Para Games and the 2023 U-20 World Cup. Unfortunately, FIFA chose to cancel Indonesia as host. home to the U-20 World Cup at the end of March 2023.

Even though he canceled holding a world-class event, Gibran's seriousness in developing Solo's tourism sector turned out to be an effective strategy in improving the economy of its citizens. The Surakarta City Central Statistics Agency noted that economic growth increased from 4.01 in 2021 percent to 6.25 percent in 2022. Growth in the accommodation and food and drink provider sector, the foundation of tourism infrastructure, is also quite large, namely 43.6 percent in the same time period.

With all his achievements in building Solo, coupled with his popularity among society, Gibran slowly began to become a political magnet. In Kompas's periodic R&D survey in April 2021, Gibran was recorded as starting to have an electability rate as a presidential candidate of around 1 percent.

Then, in a survey by the Master of Public Administration Study Program at Slamet Riyadi University, Surakarta (Unisri), the performance of Gibran and Teguh during the year since taking office was considered satisfactory by its citizens. At least the average score given by 550 survey respondents was 79.3 which is in the good category (Kompas.id, 18/2/2022).

Political magnet

The popularity and relatively good public reception of this young politician have apparently caught the attention of national political elites. As mid-2023 approaches, Gibran has become busy receiving and entertaining guests, ranging from ministers, regional leaders, and political figures. All presidential candidates in the 2024 election are also noted to have met with Gibran in person in Surakarta.

Apart from his distinctive character and his work in developing Surakarta, Gibran's main attraction lies in three aspects, namely regeneration, reconciliation and then legacy. It cannot be denied, apart from regeneration, two other aspects are closely related to his status as the son of President Jokowi (Kompas, 22/10/2023).

Also read: Searching for the Limits of Truth at the Constitutional Court

KOMPAS/ADRYAN YOGA PARAMADWYA

Chairman of Gerindra Party, Prabowo Subianto, waved to reporters after the party's national meeting (Rapimnas) in Jakarta on Monday (23/10/2023). In the meeting, Gerindra Party consolidated its strength to ensure unity in support of Prabowo Subianto and Gibran Rakabuming Raka in the 2024 presidential election.

Despite all that, Gibran is a phenomenal figure in the political stage of this republic. In less than three years, he has been able to capture the national political spotlight.

Interestingly, whether intentional or not, his footsteps appear to match those of his father. Both of them began by building strong business foundations. After that, both the father and son became heads of their hometown, Surakarta. Their political careers also soared through the same political party, which is PDI-P.

However, both Gibran and Jokowi also have a down-to-earth and simple persona that impresses the public. Economic development that focuses on infrastructure and tourism also seems to be a typical pattern of leadership for both.

Similarities like these are becoming more interesting considering that he once said he did not want to rely on his father's status as an influential political figure in this republic. Many times he has tried to prove that he can be independent, free from his father's shadow.

Now, as a vice presidential candidate with the added attribute of being the president's son, Gibran has up to four months to prove to the public that his quality comes from within himself and not others, especially not his father. Gibran's candidacy will also test the consistency of his statements from the end of 2018, where he stated that his decision to enter politics was motivated by a desire to become a leader, in order to touch and help more people, through policies that are pro-people. (KOMPAS RESEARCH)