Jakarta. Presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto responded on Monday to critics who accused President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo of establishing a political dynasty after his son was selected as a running mate for the upcoming February presidential election.

Addressing a group of journalists in Jakarta, Prabowo posed a rhetorical question, "If the Jokowi dynasty aims to contribute to the people, what's wrong with that?"

Prabowo, in his defense, mentioned his own family's legacy in politics, tracing back to his grandfather, Margono Djojohadikoesoemo, who served in the government of Indonesia's founding father, Sukarno. He also mentioned his father, Soemitro, who held various economic ministerial positions under Sukarno and Soeharto's rule. Two of his uncles sacrificed their lives in the fight against Japanese occupation in Banten in 1946.

"I belong to a dynasty -- I'm the son of Soemitro and the grandson of Margono Djojohadikusumo. My two uncles gave their lives defending the country. We are a dynasty of patriots," Prabowo said.

These comments came just a day after Prabowo appointed Jokowi's son, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, as his running mate. 

Just a week earlier, Gibran was ineligible to run for the presidential election due to the constitutional age limit. However, the 36-year-old became a candidate after the Constitutional Court amended the article of the 2017 general election law, which previously required presidential and vice-presidential candidates to be at least 40 years old. 

The amended version stipulates that a candidate "must be at least 40 years old or has served or is serving in a public position through general elections, including regional government leader elections." Gibran was elected as the mayor of Solo, Central Java, two years ago.

Furthermore, Jokowi's youngest son, Kaesang Pangarep, recently embarked on a political career by joining the Indonesian Solidarity Party (PSI), which promptly appointed him as chairman. Additionally, the president's daughter, Kahiyang Ayu, is married to Bobby Nasution, who serves as the mayor of Medan.

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