The Indonesian Election Committee (KPU) has officially declared General Prabowo Subianto and Gribran Rakabuming Raka as the nation’s President and Vice President, respectively.
Another strategic and crucial moment for Indonesia has just occurred at the Election Commission (KPU), where a public plenary hearing session was conducted on 24 April.
The move occurred just two days after the Indonesian Constitutional Court (MK) issued a ruling on 22 April, strongly denying and rejecting illicit claims made by both pairs: Anies Baswedan & Muhaimin Iskandar, and Ganjar Pranowo & Prof. Mahfud Md.
Despite the Constitutional Court’s ruling, which is legally “final” and binding for all political parties and presidential-vice presidential contestants, President Megawati Soekarnoputri’s PDIP party has just voiced strong objections and protests against the decision.
Gayus Lumbuun, representing the PDIP’s legal team, claimed that a new political move will be initiated by filing a lawsuit against the Constitutional Court’s ruling at the Administrative Court, or PTUN.
In Indonesia, the Administrative Court (PTUN) has increasingly become a legal body that facilitates claims rejected for various reasons, including issues of fairness.
On 23 April, Mr. Lumbuun publicly urged PDIP to strongly demand that the KPU suspend the announcement of the presidential election winner.
However, based on legal and other considerations, the KPU firmly upheld its decision to proceed with the final step of publicly announcing the winner of last February’s election.
From April 24, it has been legally confirmed that the pair, Gen. Prabowo Subianto and Gibran Rakabuming Raka—the eldest son of President Jokowi—will be the nation’s next top leaders.
The KPU’s declaration is politically and legally binding for all parties and participants, as stipulated in the event’s report script No. 252/PL.01.9-BA/05/2024 regarding the KPU’s Declaration on the Winners of the 2024 Presidential and Vice Presidential Election.
Today, we are declaring Mr. Prabowo Subianto and Mr. Gibran Rakabuming Raka as the winners of last February’s election, and both will be our nation’s top leaders for the term 2024-2029,” stated KPU Chairman Mr. Hasyim Asy’ari during a public plenary session. He added that the KPU’s declaration documents will be published in 24 copies, each signed by the chairman and all members of the KPU.
Moment to cement national unity
In his victory speech, President-elect General Prabowo Subianto expressed that he had never felt such ‘hurt feelings’ as when he lost his previous bids for presidential power.
“Today, all races and disputes are formally ended. This is the moment that we are all called to cement our national unity,” Mr. Prabowo said.
National unity can be achieved either by joining the next Indonesian administration or by serving as the opposition to the government.
“Well, all is well since our common objective is the same: the national welfare of the people,” said Prabowo Subianto.
The KPU’s plenary session was not attended by PDIP’s candidates, Ganjar Pranowo and Prof. Mahfud Md, who claimed they were not invited by the KPU—a claim that many Indonesians have widely condemned as a baseless excuse.
Transactional politics
Another political move is brewing in Indonesia as both President Joko Widodo and his son, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, have had their memberships in President Megawati Soekarnoputri’s PDIP party dismissed.
Addressing PDIP’s strong ‘resentment’ against his family, President Jokowi responded with a smile, saying, ‘Thank you, gentlemen, for your information.’
Despite their initial strong opposition to the candidacy of Gen. Prabowo Subianto and Gibran Rakabuming Raka in the last presidential election, both the Nasdem and PKB parties have adopted a more ‘friendly’ approach towards the incoming national leaders. Nasdem’s chairman, Surya Paloh, and PKB’s chairman, Muhaimin Iskandar, have expressed their common ‘interests’ in supporting the next Indonesian administration.
In the context of Indonesian politics, such ‘hope’ strongly suggests an unspoken expectation that members of their parties will be considered for ministerial positions in the next government.
President Jokowi will officially vacate his office next October, to be succeeded by Gen. Prabowo Subianto, who has already received best wishes from world leaders.
These include British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, French President Emmanuel Macron, American President Joe Biden, and Jordanian King Abdullah II, who was Prabowo’s close comrade during their military training at Fort Benning.
