Helmut Timothy, Jakarta – The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle, or PDI-P, on Monday accepted clarification by Solo Mayor Gibran Rakabuming Raka about his attendance at a recent gathering in which a group of people declared support for Prabowo Subianto's presidential bid.

Gibran, the eldest son of President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo, explained that he was accompanying Prabowo in his capacity as a mayor when the defense minister paid a visit to the Central Java town.

Last month, the PDI-P picked Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo as a candidate for president.

PDI-P Secretary-General Hasto Kristiyanto said after the meeting with Gibran that the mayor provided a comprehensive explanation about the circumstance of the pro-Prabowo gathering, which took place at a local cafe on that Friday evening.

"Brother Gibran explained to me and [PDI-P Ethic Council Head] Komarudin Watubun that he is not only a party member but also the mayor of Solo ... who often receives prominent guests," Hasto said at the PDI-P headquarters in Menteng, Central Jakarta.

He indicated that there will be no further actions regarding Gibran's meeting with Prabowo.

Similarly, Komarudin said he had carefully listened to Girban's explanations and understood them.

Gibran said earlier he was accompanying Prabowo for a dinner and that it was beyond his control when a man claiming to represent a group of Jokowi's supporters declared support for Prabowo at the cafe.

"It was just dinner yesterday and I stepped aside when the discussion about the presidential nomination began," Gibran said on Saturday.

In the YouTube video from the event, Gibran could be seen declining a request by Prabowo to sit next to him. Instead, he stood near the table and was out of the camera frame.

He said he didn't make any statement about Prabowo's presidential bid. "That didn't come out of my mouth – if I support somebody," Gibran said.

Source: https://jakartaglobe.id/news/pdip-accepts-gibrans-clarification-about-proprabowo-gatherin