Jakarta – President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo has repudiated a claim made by Indonesian Solidarity Party (PSI) chairman Kaesang Pangarep, his youngest son, that the outgoing executive will assist in the party's campaigning for the November regional elections.
Speaking to reporters during a working trip in West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), President Jokowi said political campaigns were the PSI's internal business and that any questions about the party's political strategy should be directed to Kaesang.
"That's definitely the PSI's own business," Jokowi told reporters.
Jokowi was responding to a claim made by Kaesang late last week that his father had instructed PSI politicians to run in local and regional elections scheduled for November.
In his speech to prospective legislative candidates representing the PSI, Kaesang claimed that his father would lend a hand in the party's campaigning.
According to the official General Elections Commission (KPU) count, the PSI garnered only 2.8 percent of the nationwide popular vote, thereby failing to meet the 4 percent threshold for representation in the legislature.
The party, however, had a decent showing in Jakarta, winning 7.68 percent of the vote, outperforming older political parties such as the Democratic Party and the National Mandate Party (PAN).
The PSI is expected to nominate Kaesang to run in the Jakarta gubernatorial election in November.