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NasDem politician urges Jokowi to step back from politics
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Former president Joko “Jokowi“ Widodo greets the crowd after a military ceremony to send him off at the Merdeka Palace in Jakarta on Oct. 20, 2024. (Antara/Sigid Kurniawan)
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NasDem Party politician has called on former president Joko “Jokowi” Widodo to step back from politics, saying he should follow the example of his predecessors who chose a quieter life after leaving office.
Ahmad Sahroni of NasDem, a party supporting President Prabowo Subianto, said that while Jokowi has every right to join any political party, it would be wiser for him to step back and let the younger generation in his family take the spotlight.
Sahroni’s comments came after Jokowi signaled interest in joining the chairmanship race of the Indonesian Solidarity Party (PSI), a small party currently led by his youngest son, Kaesang Pangarep. Jokowi is currently not a card-carrying member of any party, following his expulsion from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), the political vehicle that had backed him for two decades either as a mayor, a governor and a president.
“My suggestion is to let [his] son and sons-in-law, who are currently holding public offices, handle political affairs,” Sahroni told reporters on Monday, as quoted by Tribunnews.com, referring to Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka and North Sumatra Governor Bobby Nasution.
Read also: Jokowi signals interest in leading PSI over PPP
Sahroni added that Jokowi should now focus on supporting their political careers, rather than remaining personally involved in politics.
He further advised Jokowi to consider the approach taken by his predecessor, former president Susilo “SBY” Bambang Yudhoyono, who has maintained a low political profile and enjoyed a more relaxed life since stepping down from power in 2014.
