Arnold Sianturi & Heru Andriyanto, Jakarta – Bobby Nasution became the second member of President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's family to be granted nomination in the upcoming regional leader elections, after the Great Indonesia Movement Party, or Gerindra, officially declared their support on Tuesday.

Bobby, who is married to Jokowi's daughter Kahiyang Ayu, has passed the local election threshold to run for the mayor in Medan, capital of North Sumatra province.

Formal support from Gerindra added jubilation to the 29-year-old, who welcomed his second child on Monday.

With 10 seats in the 50-member Medan Legislative Council, Gerindra has met the minimum requirement 20 percent of seats for a party to nominate its own candidate without having to form a coalition.

Gerindra's support for the president's son-in-law was announced by deputy chairman Sufmi Dasco Ahmad in a video message.

Gerindra has picked its senior member Aulia Rahman, a sitting councilor in the city, as a running mate for the property businessman.

"For the mayoral election in Medan, we have nominated Bobby Nasution-Aulia Rahman," Sufmi said in the video.

The news came less than three weeks after Gibran Rakabuming Raka, Jokowi's eldest son, was nominated by the ruling Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) for the mayoral election in Solo, Central Java.

PDI-P has not formally appointed a candidate in Medan, but a Gerindra executive said both parties would join hands to ensure Bobby's victory.

"The Gerindra and the PDI-P have 10 seats each in the Medan Legislative Council and we both can nominate candidates separately. But we will form a coalition," Robert Lumbantobing, the secretary of Gerindra's North Sumatra chapter, said in Medan.

The Golkar Party and the National Democratic Party (Nasdem) have earlier thrown support behind Bobby. If the PDI-P joins the coalition, that would make a two-horse race.

The Democratic Party and the Social Justice Party (PKS) have combined their seats to meet the threshold and nominated acting Medan mayor Akhyar Nasution as candidate. It's now left to the PDI-P if they want to nominate a third candidate.

Last month, Jokowi's son dismissed allegation that the family is grooming a political dynasty.

"I can win or lose in this election and there is no obligation for anybody to vote for me," Gibran said. "People can vote for me or against me. This is about election, not job appointment. What political dynasty?" the 32-year-old said.

Source: https://jakartaglobe.id/news/jokowis-soninlaw-secures-nomination-in-medan-mayoral-race