By: Amanda Larasati *
President Joko Widodo’s first grandson, Jan Ethes, was dragged into the 2019 Presidential Election polemic. Jan Ethes’ involvement became a debate between Jokowi’s camp and Prabowo Subianto’s camp. The polemic began with the statement of the Chairperson of the 19th Chakra Team, Jokowi-Ma’ruf Amin’s Team of Volunteer Winners, Andi Widjajanto, who mentioned Jan Ethes as one of the superiors of the incumbent presidential candidate in the 2019 Presidential Election. Andi said when explaining why Jokowi could excel in exposure on social media compared to Prabowo. Because, the interaction of both interesting and humanist always makes news or stories about grandfather and grandchildren viral.
This received a response from several supporters of Prabowo-Sandi, one of which was Deputy Chair of the PKS Syuro Council, Hidayat Nur Wahid, who questioned the involvement of children in the campaign. However, so far there has been no intention at all for Jokowi to involve Jan Ethes in the 2019 Presidential Election. However, the closeness of the two has become a magnet in the midst of this heated political contestation. The natural closeness of grandparents and grandchildren, who were heavily appointed by the media and became the current conversation. But Jan Ethes was never involved in the Jokowi-Amin campaign as alleged by opposition groups.
President Joko Widodo also spoke up about his grandson, Jan Ethes Srinarendra, who was questioned by opposition politicians. Jokowi denied that politicians called him politicizing the grandson for the sake of electoral political interests in the 2019 Presidential Election. Jokowi stressed that his family was a reasonable family. Reasonable family, Jokowi’s intention was like what he and his family had shown all this time. Close to children and grandchildren.
Seeing the issue raised by Prabowo Subianto-Sandiaga Uno’s stronghold by questioning Jan Ethes, shows fear of the strength of toddlers. Prabowo-Sandi’s camp has panicked and feared in the acute stage. Now the presence of Jan Ethes is a fuss from them, because the President’s grandson does have his own attraction for millennials on social media. Prabowo-Sandi’s camp also seemed jealous because Prabowo did not have adorable grandchildren like Jan Ethes. In addition, all this time Jokowi has become a harmonious family symbol, the intimacy of these fathers, mothers, children, daughter-in-law and grandchildren shows that sakinah families can become role models for Indonesian families.
We all know the family
strength of a presidential candidate is one reason to vote. It’s simple, if you
lead a family it’s not good, how to lead a country. In fact, we must be aware
and judge that the side of the side more often brings children during the
campaign compared to Jan Ethes who was never present at the Jokowi campaign.
Hopefully all Indonesian people can understand and sort out what constitutes a
campaign violation actually with a deliberately raised issue to cause polemics.
* The author is a
Student of Communication Sciences at Jayabaya University