Sandiaga Uno Likely Succeeds Jokowi; Prabowo Shares View

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Gerindra Party Chief Patron Prabowo Subianto has balked at commenting on the remarks of President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo and State Intelligence Agency (BIN) Head Budi Gunawan who mentioned that Sandiaga Uno would likely be a presidential candidate in the 2024 election.

“Yes, he [Sandiaga Uno] could be,” Prabowo said shortly after a meeting of Defense Ministry and Commission I of the House of Representatives (DPR) at the Parliament Complex, Senayan, Jakarta, Monday, January 20.

The former rival of Jokowi in the 2019 presidential election stopped short of responding further, yet underlining that the contestation is still a long time ahead. "It is still far ahead."

Last Wednesday during the Association of Young Indonesian Businesspeople (Hipmi) event, President Jokowi suggested in his speech that Sandiaga Uno would likely be his successor in 2024. He did not specify a name but referred to the man who was just standing, Sandiaga Uno.

Similar prediction conveyed by the State Intelligence Agency (BIN) General Budi Gunawan on Saturday, January 19, during the eSports Indonesia event at Kempinski Hotel Jakarta.

"After the President said that Pak Sandi has strong potential to be a president, we believe that with the support of eSports, millennials and Z generation will unite to win Sandiaga Uno," Budi said.

Meanwhile, Sandiaga Uno assessed that those statements were merely a joke.

BUDIARTI UTAMI PUTRI