Jokowi hosts lunch for Anies, Prabowo and Ganjar at Merdeka Palace
Jakarta, The Gulf Observer: Indonesian President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) invited three presidential candidates for the 2024 presidential election Anies Baswedan, Ganjar Pranowo, and Prabowo Subianto to have lunch together at the Merdeka Palace, Jakarta, Monday.
Jokowi and the three presidential candidates sat around a round dining table at the Merdeka Palace’s dining room.
At the luncheon, which started at around 12:30 local time, Jokowi wore a white batik shirt with blue patterns and sat between Pranowo in a red batik shirt and Subianto in a brown batik, while Baswedan, who was dressed in a dark brown batik shirt, sat directly opposite the president.
The Merdeka Palace served items on the menu, such as chicken roulade, rice cakes, beef rendang, orange juice, soy sauce chicken, and tofu.
Before the luncheon, Pranowo had time to greet the media crew.
“Have you had your lunch?” he asked.
The lunch agenda was held moments after Jokowi delivered instructions to acting regional heads throughout Indonesia at the Presidential Palace, Jakarta.
Earlier, the Indonesian General Election Commission (KPU) received the registration of three presidential and vice presidential candidate pairs for the 2024 presidential election, namely Anies Baswedan-Muhaimin Iskandar, Ganjar Pranowo-Mahfud MD, and Prabowo Subianto-Gibran Rakabuming Raka.
The Baswedan-Iskandar pair is supported by the NasDem Party, National Awakening Party (PKB), Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), and Ummat Party.
The Pranowo-Mahfud pair is supported by the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) Perjuangan, United Development Party (PPP), Perindo Party, and Hanura Party.
Meanwhile, the Subianto-Raka pair is backed by the Gerindra Party, Golkar Party, National Mandate Party (PAN), Democratic Party, Crescent Star Party (PBB), Gelora Party, Garuda Party, and Indonesian Solidarity Party (PSI).
The KPU has set the election campaign period from November 28, 2023, to February 10, 2024, while the election is scheduled for February 14, 2024.