INTERNATIONAL – Indonesia’s President-elect, Prabowo Subianto, is expected to secure near-supermajority support in parliament as two parties, the National Democratic Party (Nasdem) and the National Awakening Party (PKB), signal their intention to join his governing coalition. Previously, these parties backed Anies Baswedan and Muhaimin Iskandar in the February 2024 Presidential Election.
The chairmen of Nasdem, Surya Paloh, and PKB, Muhaimin Iskandar, met with Prabowo shortly after the General Election Commission (KPU) officially declared Prabowo and Gibran Rakabuming Raka as the winners of the 2024 Presidential Election on April 24. The confirmation followed the Constitutional Court’s rejection of election dispute lawsuits filed by Anies Baswedan and Ganjar Pranowo.
The Constitutional Court ruled that allegations of election fraud and interference by President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) to benefit Prabowo and his running mate Gibran, who is also Jokowi’s son, were unsubstantiated.
Nasdem expressed its intention to join Prabowo’s coalition after Paloh met with the President-elect in Jakarta on April 25. Paloh emphasized that joining the government was the best choice for building a more advanced Indonesia. “Nasdem has chosen to support the government. Helping the government requires spirit and sincerity,” he stated, as quoted by CNN Indonesia.
Similarly, Muhaimin Iskandar welcomed Prabowo warmly during a meeting a day earlier, reaffirming PKB’s desire to collaborate with the incoming administration. He highlighted the longstanding partnership between PKB and Gerindra in parliament and the executive branch as the foundation for continued cooperation.
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Should Nasdem and PKB officially join the coalition in October, Prabowo is projected to gain the backing of six parties in parliament. These include Gerindra, the Democratic Party, Golkar, PAN, Nasdem, and PKB, which together hold 63.46 percent of the parliamentary seats. This substantial support would make it easier for Prabowo’s administration to implement policies and strengthen his position for potential re-election in the future.
Meanwhile, two other parliamentary parties, PDI-P and PKS, have yet to announce their stance. PDI-P, a staunch supporter of President Jokowi, faced internal shifts after Gibran joined Prabowo’s ticket. The party plans to hold a national meeting in May to decide its position regarding Prabowo’s coalition.
With this potential grand coalition, Prabowo Subianto’s administration is poised to address Indonesia’s future challenges with greater political stability and legislative support.
