Jokowi Starts Political Career from District Party Level

Solo, Central Java (Antara Bali) - Presidential-elect Joko Widodo said here on Thursday he had started his political career from the Brengosan office of the Indonesia Democratic Party Struggle (PDIP) chapter in Laweyan, Solo, central Java.

"This office reminds me of the start of my political career by running for city mayor," he said when visiting the office.

During the visit, marked by a tree-planting event, he was accompanied by Solo Mayor Hadi Ridyatmo.

"I started my political career at the grassroots and first met Hadi Rudyatmo in 2004. I later ran for Solo mayor in 2005 with Rudyatmo as my running mate," he recalled.

Before visiting the PDIP branch office, he met pedicab drivers at Nongko, Gede, and Solo wholesale markets and along the citys Slamet Riyadi main road to thank them for their support.

Joko Widodo, better known as Jokowi, currently Jakarta governor, had recently been declared by the General Elections Commission (KPU) as the winner of the July 9 presidential election. He ran for president with former vice president Jusuf Kalla as his running mate.

His rival, former military figure Prabowo Subianto who paired with former economic minister Hatta Rajasa, however, had rejected the results of the election citing massive and systematic frauds in a number of regions in the country and had filed a lawsuit with the Constitutional Court.

Hadi Rudyatmo, who is also the current head of the PDIP Solo chapter, hailed Jokowis visit to Brengosan, saying as Jokowi began his political career from Brengosan, it was appropriate for him to visit the office before he is inaugurated later as president.

Regarding the possibility of being nominated as member of Jokowis cabinet, Rudyatmo said that they had not discussed about it.

"I am only a party worker. I will only carry out my duties if I am ordered by Megawati as the general chairperson of PDIP," he said.

Jokowi is currently preparing a list of ministers to fill his future cabinet. (WDY)