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View all search resultsCabinet seating change fuels questions over Prabowo-Gibran dynamics
Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka sitting next to senior ministers and not President Prabowo Subianto during a recent cabinet meeting has become the focus of public attention, fueling speculation of a shifting dynamic between the country’s top two leaders.
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Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka (right), sits with coordinating ministers and cabinet ministers on Monday during a plenary cabinet meeting at the State Palace in Jakarta. ( Presidential Secretariat/Laily Rachev)
S
ince taking office nearly two years ago, Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka has almost always occupied the seat beside President Prabowo Subianto during cabinet meetings, remaining at the President's side as he led discussions and set the government's priorities.
That arrangement changed on Monday, when Prabowo presided over a plenary cabinet meeting from the head of a horseshoe-shaped seating layout formed by several tables, while Gibran was seated elsewhere alongside some senior ministers, as well as State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi and Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya.
Flanking the President's table were two glass teleprompter screens, which officials later said were installed to help him deliver a data-heavy speech, despite his tendency to depart from prepared text during the one-and-a-half-hour session.
Even when Prabowo made his way around the room, greeting and shaking hands with cabinet members before the meeting, Gibran remained at his table, unlike on previous occasions when he accompanied the President.
The break from customary protocol quickly became the focus of public attention. Photos and videos of the scene circulated widely on social media as users questioned whether the change hinted at a shifting dynamic between Prabowo and Gibran, who won the presidential election with the backing of Gibran’s father, former president Joko “Jokowi” Widodo.
Since assuming the nation’s second-highest office, Gibran has yet to play a meaningful role, as seen in his lack of substantial duties beyond ceremonial appearances and his exclusion from strategic meetings, although he often goes on blusukan (impromptu visits) to maintain public support.
