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Dynastic Tendencies: Top Politicians’ Offspring Head the Vote Tally
Yuki Mariam | May 29, 2009

Edhie Baskoro Yudhoyono, left, the son of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, topped all candidates running in the April legislative elections. (Photo: Adek Berry, AFP) Edhie Baskoro Yudhoyono, left, the son of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, topped all candidates running in the April legislative elections. (Photo: Adek Berry, AFP)
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In what could mark the beginning of the next generation of two political dynasties, the youngest son of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and the daughter of former President Megawati Sukarnoputri were the top vote-getters in the April legislative elections, the General Elections Commission (KPU) says.

Edhie Baskoro Yudhoyono, running for his father’s Democratic Party in East Java District VII, topped all candidates nationwide with 327,097 votes. The district covers Ponorogo, Pacitan, Magetan and Ngawi districts, and Edhie cruised to victory even though the April 9 polls was his first try at public office and he was not reared in the district. His father was born in Pacitan, though.

Puan Maharani, Megawati’s only daughter and the granddaughter of founding President Sukarno, continued the family tradition by winning a seat in Central Java. Her 242,504 votes was the second most nationwide, exceeding the 2004 total garnered by Prosperous Justice Party’s Hidayat Nur Wahid, who topped the list at the time.

Like Edhie, it was Puan’s first run at office and she was also not raised in the district in which she won. She represented the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), chaired by her mother.

The son of Alex Noerdin, governor of South Sumatra and a senior Golkar Party member, got the fourth-most votes of any legislative candidate. Dodi Reza Alex Noerdin, who was born in South Sumatra’s provincial capital Palembang and ran for Golkar, secured 218,991 votes in District 1.