Jakarta. Gibran Rakabuming Raka, the eldest son of President Joko Widodo, has officially ended his membership with the ruling Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) by becoming the running mate for Prabowo Subianto, party executives confirmed on Friday.

Additionally, Gibran bid farewell to the party through House of Representatives Speaker Puan Maharani, the daughter of PDI-P Chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri.

"[Gibran] has said his farewell through Puan during an extensive private meeting," PDI-P Secretary-General Hasto Kristiyanto told reporters in Jakarta.

These statements come after several attempts by the media to get a direct response from Gibran himself went unanswered.

Separately, Komarudin Watubun, the head of the PDI-P Ethics Council, clarified that when Gibran and presidential candidate Prabowo officially registered as a pair with the General Election Commission (KPU) on October 25, it should be interpreted as a de facto recognition of Gibran's departure from the party.

"Gibran's membership in the PDI-P ended when he officially registered as the vice-presidential candidate of the Forward Indonesia Coalition. In politics, it's common for individuals to switch parties or retire," Komarudin said in a statement.

By teaming up with a rival candidate, Gibran demonstrated disloyalty to the PDI-P's decision to nominate former Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo as the presidential nominee. Consequently, he is automatically disqualified by the party, according to Komarudin.

Gibran, aged 36, was nominated as the running mate by the Golkar Party, a member of the Prabowo coalition.

The mayor of Solo was previously ineligible to run in the 2024 presidential election, as the election law required candidates to be at least 40 years old. However, in a controversial ruling earlier this month, the Constitutional Court amended the article to make an exception for individuals who have served or are serving in elected public positions, such as mayors, governors, or regents.

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