Jakarta. President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo donned a yellow outfit as he attended the closing of the Golkar Party’s national congress in Jakarta on Wednesday evening, explaining that he wanted to blend in with the host.

The Golkar Party has become a closer ally of the president, particularly after the last elections when his son, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, was chosen as the party’s nominee for the vice-presidential position alongside presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto.

However, Gibran’s nomination sparked tensions between the first family and the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), to which both father and son belonged at that time.

“Ladies and gentlemen, some of you may be wondering why I’m wearing a yellow shirt. Well, I just wanted to blend in and show respect to the host, the Golkar Party,” Jokowi said during his speech at the congress’s conclusion.

Yellow is the color of Golkar, one of Indonesia’s oldest political parties, and all Golkar executives adhered to that color theme for the event.

“Let me take this opportunity to honor the significant occasion for the Golkar Party this evening, where Mr. Bahlil Lahadalia was appointed as the new chairman by acclamation. He also serves as the energy and mineral resources minister in the cabinet,” Jokowi added.

The president also paid tribute to former Golkar Chairman Airlangga Hartarto, who played a key role in elevating Gibran to the upper echelons of Indonesian politics and currently serves as the chief economic minister in Jokowi’s cabinet.

Airlangga unexpectedly announced his resignation as Golkar chairman two weeks ago, declining to disclose specific reasons for his decision.

“I believe this successful and peaceful national congress is due to the efforts of the previous chairman, Mr. Airlangga Hartarto -- a respected politician, a true technocrat, and an architect of the Indonesian economy who has delivered tangible results,” the president said.

President-Elect Prabowo, Gibran, and prominent guests from other political parties were also in attendance at the event.

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