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JAKARTA: President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo and his prospective successor, Prabowo Subianto, have exemplified how former adversaries can set aside past animosities and forge unlikely alliances for a seamless transition of power, a senior politician said on Friday.

The relationship between Jokowi and Prabowo has emerged as a guiding light for future leaders in a country where the transfer of power has often been tumultuous, according to National Mandate Party (PAN) Chairman Zulkifli Hasan during an internal gathering in Jakarta.

“History reminds us of the uneasy departures of leaders such as Bung Karno, Soeharto, and Gus Dur,” Zulkifli told PAN’s regional chapter leaders.

Bung Karno, the moniker of Founding President Sukarno, was in failing health and under house arrest when Soeharto assumed the presidency officially in 1967.

Soeharto stepped down amid nationwide protests against his autocratic regime in 1998 after a 32-year tenure. Abdurrahman Wahid, or Gus Dur, was impeached by the parliament midway through his presidential term in 2001.

“Now observe the rapport between Mr. Prabowo and Mr. Jokowi. Despite Mr. Prabowo’s defeat in the 2019 election, he was appointed to a cabinet position, and they have since become allies. The transfer of power will proceed smoothly, yielding greater benefits for Indonesia,” Zulkifli said.

The gathering formed part of PAN’s preparations for the upcoming simultaneous elections for governors, mayors, and regents nationwide.