TheJakartaPost

Please Update your browser

Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.

Jakarta Post

President-elect Prabowo secures majority at the House

The Nasdem party, which accounts for about 10 percent of the House, announced late on Thursday that it would support the incoming administration of Prabowo. 

Agencies
Jakarta
Fri, August 16, 2024 Published on Aug. 16, 2024 Published on 2024-08-16T11:56:20+07:00

Change text size

Gift Premium Articles
to Anyone

Share the best of The Jakarta Post with friends, family, or colleagues. As a subscriber, you can gift 3 to 5 articles each month that anyone can read—no subscription needed!
President-elect Prabowo secures majority at the House Minister of Defense, who is also President-elect Prabowo Subianto (center) greets invited guests witnessed by Coordinating Minister for PMK Muhadjir Effendy (second left), Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan (second left), Coordinating Minister for the Economy Airlangga Hartarto (second right), and Coordinating Minister for Political Affairs Hadi Tjahjanto at the Annual Session of the People's Consultative Assembly and the Joint Session of the House of Representatives - DPD in 2024 at the Nusantara Building, Parliament complex, Senayan, Jakarta, Friday, August 16, 2024. (Antara/Aditya Pradana Putra)

P

resident-elect Prabowo Subianto has secured a majority at the House of Representatives after the party that backed his rival in the February elections announced it was joining his big-tent coalition. 

The Nasdem party, which accounts for about 10 percent of the House, announced late on Thursday that it would support the incoming administration of Prabowo. 

The move will give the Prabowo government control over the House, boosting its stake from 43 percent to 52 percent.

The majority is expected to smooth legislative processes, including approval of the 2025 budget, which outgoing President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo will announce on Friday.

Prabowo, and vice-president-elect Gibran Rakabuming Raka, who is Jokowi's eldest son, will be sworn into office on October 20.

Nasdem chief Surya Paloh told reporters on Thursday that his decision to join Prabowo would foster a "calmer and more optimistic" atmosphere and ease the work of the incoming administration. 

Morning Brief

Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday morning.

Delivered straight to your inbox three times weekly, this curated briefing provides a concise overview of the day's most important issues, covering a wide range of topics from politics to culture and society.

By registering, you agree with The Jakarta Post's

Thank You

for signing up our newsletter!

Please check your email for your newsletter subscription.

View More Newsletter

"We agree to cooperate and collaborate to face challenges in the future," said Prabowo, after meeting Paloh, "Unity is the key to a nation's success."

Prabowo, whose coalition includes five political parties, is also in talks with the country's largest Islamic party, which has a 10 percent share in the House.

NasDem previously backed Anies Baswedan, a former Jakarta governor and vocal government critic, who was defeated by Prabowo in this year's presidential election.

The party's decision to join Prabowo has led it to withdraw support for Anies's bid for Jakarta governor this November. Jokowi's youngest son Kaesang has in recent weeks been touted as a possible candidate for the post of governor in Jakarta or Central Java.

Anies, who polls show is the frontrunner in the Jakarta race, has been struggling to find enough parties to support him.

Anies told Reuters this week that "despite the pressure" he was optimistic he would ultimately secure the backing of parties with the required threshold of 20 percent of seats in the regional parliament.

The developments follow the shock resignation at the weekend of Airlangga Hartarto as head of Golkar, the country's second-largest political party, which is also in Prabowo's camp. 

It was expected that Airlangga, a Jokowi and Prabowo ally, would retain chairmanship of the party until its planned December congress. Instead, that congress will be held next week, when a new party chair will be elected.

After a decade in office analysts say Jokowi is seeking control over Golkar to retain influence after he steps down.

Last week, during a cabinet meeting at the country's planned new capital, Prabowo pledged to continue the construction of Nusantara once he takes office in October, removing any doubt over his willingness to carry out Jokowi's legacy project.

Jokowi resurrected the long-shelved plan to relocate the capital soon after taking office in 2019 after experts warned Jakarta -- the megacity of 12 million people -- was sinking.

An official decree on moving the capital from Jakarta could be delayed until after Prabowo takes office, however.

"I have said many times that I am determined to continue, if possible, to complete the project," said Prabowo.

"I believe in three, four, five years, the capital city can function."

 

Your Opinion Matters

Share your experiences, suggestions, and any issues you've encountered on The Jakarta Post. We're here to listen.

Enter at least 30 characters
0 / 30

Thank You

Thank you for sharing your thoughts. We appreciate your feedback.

Share options

Quickly share this news with your network—keep everyone informed with just a single click!

Change text size options

Customize your reading experience by adjusting the text size to small, medium, or large—find what’s most comfortable for you.

Gift Premium Articles
to Anyone

Share the best of The Jakarta Post with friends, family, or colleagues. As a subscriber, you can gift 3 to 5 articles each month that anyone can read—no subscription needed!

Continue in the app

Get the best experience—faster access, exclusive features, and a seamless way to stay updated.