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View all search resultsBahlil’s position safe for now after meeting Prabowo: Experts
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Seeking refugee: Golkar Party chairman Bahlil Lahadalia (second left), accompanied by Golkar Party Advisory Board chairman Agus Gumiwang (second right), steps out of a vehicle on Aug. 27 before a meeting with President Prabowo Subianto at the Merdeka Palace in Jakarta. According to Golkar, the meeting was held as part of a “courtesy visit“. (Antara/Muhammad Adimaja)
U
nder pressure from a potential internal revolt, Golkar chairman Bahlil Lahadalia turned to President Prabowo Subianto, reaffirming the party’s loyalty to the current government in what observers see as a bid to shield himself from alleged efforts to unseat him.
Speculations have been mounting over the past month that Bahlil, whose rise to Golkar’s top post last year was reportedly backed by former president Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, is facing dissatisfaction within the party ranks and the threat of an extraordinary congress to strip him of his position.
Observers say the tension reflects President Prabowo’s efforts to reshape the balance of power and curb the lingering influence of his predecessor, Jokowi, with whom Bahlil is closely aligned.
Wearing Golkar’s trademark yellow jacket, Bahlil, who also serves as energy and mineral resources minister, led a delegation of the party’s central board executives to the Merdeka Palace in Jakarta on Wednesday in what he described as a “courtesy visit” to President Prabowo.
During the roughly three-hour meeting, Bahlil pledged Golkar’s full backing for Prabowo’s administration, stressing that the nation’s second-largest party would ensure the success of the President’s flagship programs including the free nutritious meal program and the Sekolah Rakyat boarding school program for children from poor families.
Read also: Bahlil’s grip over Golkar tested
The discussions also touched on Article 33 of the 1945 Constitution, which outlines natural resource management, as well as broader reflections on what an “ideal political system” should look like going forward.
