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Opposition weakens as rivals pledge support for Prabowo
Since the February election, Prabowo has expressed his hope to reach out to rivaling camps, as the president-elect looks to form a ruling coalition and the new government in the six months leading up to his presidency.
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President-elect and Gerindra Party chair Prabowo Subianto (right) greets NasDem Party chair Surya Paloh on April 25, 2024, at his residence on Jl. Kertanegara, South Jakarta. Surya, who supported Prabowo's rival Anies Baswedan in the Feb. 14 election, says he will support the next government under Prabowo. (Antara/Aditya Pradana Putra)
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olitical parties rivaling president-elect Prabowo Subianto have started expressing their support for the incoming government, diminishing hopes of an opposition force against his administration and bringing the former Army general a step closer to securing majority support in the House of Representatives.
Days after the General Elections Commission (KPU) officiated Prabowo’s victory in the 2024 election on Wednesday, the president-elect engaged in a flurry of talks with parties backing one of his rivals, losing presidential candidate Anies Baswedan, to broaden his coalition.
Prabowo will take over the nation’s top post from President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, the ever-popular leader whose son Gibran Rakabuming Raka is the vice president-elect. The Gerindra Party chairman will only have about six months to form a ruling coalition and the new government.
Among rival parties he met this week was the NasDem Party, as its chair Surya Paloh paid a visit to the president-elect’s residence at Jl. Kertanegara, South Jakarta, on Thursday.
Citing the need for national unity in facing the complex global challenges, Surya expressed the party’s full support for Prabowo’s administration, adding that it was better to stand in the ruling camp to build a more advanced Indonesia.
“The opportunity, the urge, the desire, the spirit to be with the government; I think it’s better. This is my choice, NasDem’s choice,” Surya told reporters after the meeting.
“We can be in an opposing camp any time, but working to help the government requires a spirit and sincerity of heart, which prioritizes objectivity in maintaining reason and critical thinking,” he added.
