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View all search resultsPrabowo’s approval slide fuels warm-up to 2029 elections
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President Prabowo Subianto gestures while giving a speech on Sept. 9 at the Democratic Party’s 25th anniversary celebration at the Indonesia Arena in Jakarta. In the speech, Prabowo praised Democratic Party leader Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono and the party for their commitment to his administration. (Antara/Tyo Pribadi)
T
he next presidential election may still be three years away, but several potential contenders have already begun making early moves as President Prabowo Subianto’s approval ratings slide and criticism of his government mounts.
The early maneuvering comes as Prabowo faces growing public dissatisfaction, with his approval ratings falling from 81.2 percent in November last year to 51.1 percent in July amid worsening perceptions of the economy, politics and law enforcement.
Among those who may have begun positioning themselves early is senior infrastructure minister Minister Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono, popularly known as AHY, who recently made remarks that experts and politicians saw as an indirect criticism of the government’s handling of economic and democratic challenges.
While backing the Prabowo administration, the Democratic Party leader used his speech during the party’s 25th anniversary celebration last Saturday to urge party members to be “honest about the realities experienced by the people”, noting that many Indonesians continue to face economic hardship.
He also called for continued efforts to protect the hard-won democratic gains of the reform era and promote a “healthy democracy”, which he said requires an accountable government, a trusted legal system, a free press and civil society, effective checks and balances and fair elections.
Former president Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, who is constitutionally barred from running for a third term and tacitly backed Prabowo’s bid in 2024, has also launched a tour to some regions that analysts said is intended to shore up support for his eldest son, incumbent Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka.
Read also: Jokowi sets sights on PSI rise in 2029 elections
