Indonesia's Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka and his spouse Selvi Ananda showing their ballot papers while voting at a simultaneous regional elections in Solo, Central Java on Nov 27, 2024. - AFP
JAKARTA; Former president Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has called on the eventual winners of the regional elections to remain humble and for the losers to accept the results in good faith. His statement came after he and his wife Iriana Widodo cast their votes at a polling station in their native Surakarta, Central Java.
Jokowi and Iriana were accompanied by their eight-year-old grandson, Jan Ethes, the son of Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka.
Speaking to reporters after placing his votes for Surakarta mayor and Central Java governor, Jokowi praised the country’s first simultaneous regional election, saying that everything about it was “in a good condition”.
“After the vote count, whoever wins must not become cocky, and those who lose must be able to accept [the results], since [the outcome] is in the hands of the people,” Jokowi said.
Since his decade-long tenure as president came to an end on Oct 20, Jokowi has been spending most of his time in Surakarta, although he has joined gubernatorial candidates Ahmad Luthfi and Ridwan Kamil on the campaign trail in recent weeks.
Ahmad is running in Central Java while Ridwan is contesting Jakarta’s top office. Both are backed by the Onward Indonesia Coalition (KIM), consisting of parties that support President Prabowo Subianto’s administration and which also joined Jokowi’s big-tent alliance during his second term.
Also in Surakarta, Vice President Gibran cast his vote at a separate polling station from Jokowi. Gibran was accompanied by his wife, Selvi Ananda.
Speaking to reporters after voting, Gibran thanked the General Elections Commission (KPU), the Elections Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu) and poll workers because the simultaneous regional elections “ran well”.
He added that the public should look to accept the results of the regional polls and cast their political differences aside. - The Jakarta Post/ANN
