Five days before the Christmas holiday, Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) General ChairMegawati Sukarnoputri called Djarot Saiful Hidayat to her home in Jalan Teuku Umar, Jakarta. Without much discussion, Megawati ordered him to run as a candidate for North Sumatra governor. In response, Djarot asked for a chance to see how he is perceived in the province.

The former Jakarta governor then took his wife and his eldest daughter on a