Jakarta. President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo extended invitations to all three potential successors for a luncheon at the Merdeka Palace in Jakarta on Monday, sending a strong message of his neutrality for the upcoming election.

Indonesia is gearing up for the presidential election in February, featuring three contestants: Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto, former Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan, and former Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo.

Prabowo recently stirred controversy by appointing Jokowi's eldest son, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, as his running mate. This move generated discussion due to Gibran's previous ineligibility to contest the election based on age limits. However, the Constitutional Court ordered a revision of the regulation, allowing him to run.

The three candidates said that the lunch with the president was a relaxed, informal gathering without any "weighty topics" on the agenda.

They all expressed a shared objective: to demonstrate the president's neutral stance.

"This is a very important message because neutrality is vital in a democracy to prevent a biased or one-sided election," Ganjar told to reporters after the event. 

Ganjar is nominated by the ruling Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), of which Jokowi is a member.

Prabowo characterized the meeting as "very friendly" and unusual due to the candidates' demanding schedules leading up to the election. "The president aimed to boost our spirits, and we felt the same way," Prabowo said.

Anies, the only candidate not associated with the president or the current government, conveyed a message to Jokowi, urging him to remain neutral in the election.

“I often met with people who love our president and they asked me to tell Mr. President to remain neutral,” Anies said.

The luncheon took place behind closed doors and lasted for approximately one hour.

President Jokowi shared details of the friendly gathering on the social media platform X to inform the public about the event.

He wrote in Indonesian and English, "Lunch with Mr. Prabowo Subianto, Mr. Ganjar Pranowo, and Mr. Anies Baswedan -- three presidential candidates participating in the 2024 presidential election-- at the Merdeka Palace today. We enjoyed a warm atmosphere and friendly conversation."

The menu featured traditional soup Soto from the East Java town of Lamongan, black pepper beef, squid, shrimp, iced drinks, and orange juice, the president wrote.

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