Solo. Former President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo hinted on Wednesday that he might join the race to become chairman of the Indonesian Solidarity Party (PSI), which is currently led by his youngest son, Kaesang Pangarep.

Speaking to reporters at his private residence in Solo, Central Java, Jokowi said he is still making political calculations regarding the possibility of leading the youth-oriented party.

“I can't afford to lose,” he joked.

While Jokowi has yet to formally register for the race, he noted that he still has time ahead of the party’s upcoming congress, which will either elect a new chairman for the 2025–2030 term or decide to extend Kaesang’s leadership.

“I still have until June to submit my candidacy,” Jokowi said.

PSI is preparing to implement a groundbreaking “one member, one vote” system for the chairmanship election, using electronic voting to allow full participation from members across the country. The move stands in contrast to other Indonesian political parties, which traditionally elect leaders through internal consensus among select party elites.

This new system, according to Jokowi, could make the race more competitive.

“I heard they’ll use an e-voting system with a one-man-one-vote principle. That’s the hardest part,” he said. “But if I declare my candidacy, maybe the others will just withdraw,” he joked again.

PSI Deputy Chairman Andy Budiman said the direct election system reflects the party’s broader mission to be a “super open party,” where ordinary members have equal voting rights as provincial party leaders.

Andy welcomed the possibility of Jokowi joining the race, saying the party was founded in the spirit of his leadership and that Jokowi is widely regarded as a mentor figure within PSI.

Jokowi first rose to political prominence as a member of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), which supported his two successful presidential campaigns. However, tensions between Jokowi and PDI-P began to surface ahead of the 2024 presidential election, particularly after he implicitly endorsed Prabowo Subianto, the eventual winner.

Following the election, PDI-P announced the dishonorable dismissal of Jokowi, his eldest son Gibran Rakabuming Raka, and his son-in-law Bobby Nasution from the party.

While Bobby went on to join Prabowo’s Great Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra) and has since won the North Sumatra gubernatorial election, Jokowi and Gibran remain unaffiliated with any political party.

Gibran’s defection to Prabowo’s camp, which helped him secure the vice presidency, further fueled PDI-P’s discontent with the former first family.

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