Exclusive | Erick Thohir for VP? Indonesian minister talks up ‘continuity in politics’ as way to preserve Widodo legacy
- The Indonesian tycoon, a supporter of President Joko Widodo, appears set to be a front runner for vice-president in the coming election
- Thohir has been building his political capital by expanding partnerships between Indonesia and global players, with the aim of boosting job creation
While Thohir remained coy about his own electoral ambitions in an exclusive interview with This Week in Asia in Hong Kong last week, the minister was not so subtle about his hopes for the country’s next leader – offering strong clues that he would like to see a Widodo-aligned successor taking the helm.
“What has been successful under our current president has to be continued for Indonesia,” the 53-year-old said. “Continuity in policy is very important.”
When asked if he would pair up with any of the leading presidential candidates, Thohir was tight-lipped, but did not disagree when it was put to him that there was widening consensus that he was among analysts’ favourites to be a vice-presidential nominee. He said he had built a strong level of trust with multiple political parties by being transparent and consistently showing good results since entering politics in 2018.
He also reasserted his support for Widodo’s leadership, including his ambitious US$32 billion project to move the capital from Jakarta to Nusantara.