Jakarta. The Great Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra) officially nominated former high-ranking police officer Ahmad Luthfi for the Central Java governorship on Friday, with Taj Yasin Maimoen as his running mate, putting to rest speculations that the president’s son, Kaesang Pangarep, would be running in the provincial election.

Kaesang, 29, was deemed ineligible due to his age, as the election law requires candidates to be at least 30 years old. Reports earlier suggested that political parties loyal to President Joko Widodo were considering amending the law to allow Kaesang to run, which triggered nationwide protests on Thursday. Hundreds of students even stormed the entrance of the legislative compound to express their concerns.

A spokesman for the South Jakarta District Court confirmed that Kaesang had requested a criminal record check, indicating his intent to participate in the election.

While Gerindra and its coalition partners had initially hinted at Kaesang being considered as Ahmad’s running mate, Gerindra’s acting chairman, Sufmi Dasco Ahmad, clarified that the pairing of Ahmad and Taj Yasin had been finalized the previous week.

“Yes, there were recommendations for Kaesang, but the final decision has already been made,” Sufmi said.

Ahmad is the former police chief in Central Java while Taj Yasin will be seeking reelection as the vice governor in the province.

The protests held on Thursday across various cities reflected public frustration over alleged attempts to manipulate election laws to benefit the president’s family. Kaesang’s older brother, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, was elected vice president in the February election after the Constitutional Court, led by their uncle, Chief Justice Anwar Usman, modified the minimum age requirement for presidential and vice-presidential candidates.

The court ruling allowed candidates holding an elected office to qualify even if they did not meet the minimum age of 35. Gibran became eligible as he was serving as the mayor of Solo when he registered his candidacy.

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