Solo City's Jokowi Birthday Billboards Irk Gerindra Party

Billboards wishing President Joko Widodo a happy 65th birthday, erected by the Surakarta city government, have sparked disappointment within the local chapter of the Gerindra Party. The party's chairman in Solo, Ardianto, reported seeing these birthday greetings displayed at approximately seven locations across the city.

Ardianto expressed his dismay, noting that the billboards prominently featured the Surakarta City Government logo and the city's slogan, "The Spirit of Java." He questioned why the city administration, led by Mayor Gibran Rakabuming Raka, who is a member of Gerindra, did not extend similar public birthday wishes to the party's chairman and current President, Prabowo Subianto. "Why is there no greeting for Pak Prabowo when he is also a Gerindra cadre?" Ardianto asked.

Mayor Respati Ardi, however, defended the initiative, describing the billboards as a form of appreciation for Jokowi's tenure as the 16th Mayor of Surakarta from 2005 to 2012. He highlighted the "drastic changes" and "extraordinary development" that occurred during Jokowi's time as mayor, stating that the city government's gesture was a way to remember and honor those contributions. "This is an appreciation from the Surakarta City Government towards him, the 16th Mayor and the 7th President of the Republic of Indonesia," Respati said.

When pressed about the Gerindra Party's concerns regarding the lack of similar recognition for Prabowo Subianto, Respati offered a brief response, implying the current birthday celebration was simply a matter of timing. "Well, it's his (Jokowi's) birthday, what can we do?" he stated, suggesting the focus was solely on the occasion of Jokowi's birthday.