Establishing Friendship, Gerindra Ensures Prabowo Will Visit All Political Parties

The Gerindra Party ensures that Prabowo Subianto will meet all parties, including its rival camp in the 2024 presidential election.

KOMPAS/RONY ARIYANTO NUGROHO

Prabowo Subianto and Gibran Rakabuming Raka bid farewell after receiving the appointment letter as the elected presidential and vice-presidential candidates from the KPU at the KPU RI building in Jakarta on Wednesday (24/4/2024).

JAKARTA, KOMPAS - The Gerindra party ensures that the elected presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto will visit all political parties, including the political parties supporting their political rivals in the 2024 Presidential Election. Apart from staying in touch, meeting with the Top political party officials were on the agenda because from the start Prabowo wanted to embrace all elements and forces to build the nation together.

After Prabowo-Gibran was confirmed as the elected presidential and vice presidential candidate in the 2024 Presidential Election (Pilpres), a number of political parties from their rival camps in the 2024 Presidential Election began to indicate that they would join the new government. One of them is the National Awakening Party (PKB) which immediately expressed support for Prabowo-Gibran.

PKB General Chair Muhaimin Iskandar after his meeting with Prabowo, Wednesday (24/4/2024), even emphasized that his party was ready to work with Gerindra in the next government. The General Chair of the Nasdem Party, Surya Paloh, made the same statement the day after. PKB and Nasdem are part of the Coalition Change, supporting the Anies-Muhaimin pair.

KOMPAS/TOTOK WIJAYANTO

Sufmi Dasco Ahmad

The Secretary General of the Gerindra party, Sufmi Dasco Ahmad, when contacted in Jakarta on Sunday (28/4/2024), said that Prabowo planned to meet with other party leaders from his rival camp, not only with Muhaimin and Paloh. However, he couldn't confirm which party Prabowo would visit first. Every meeting also needs to be adjusted to Prabowo's schedule, as he is currently serving as the Minister of Defense.

"There is indeed a plan to visit all political parties as part of building relationships. However, the timing will be determined later, as it happens next week Mr. Prabowo has a series of activities with the Ministry, receiving guests from outside, and going out if I am not mistaken," said Dasco.

Meet PKS

Recently, the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) signaled support for the Prabowo-Gibran government. PKS Secretary General Aboebakar Al Habsy even said he would provide a red carpet if Prabowo attended PKS' invitation. However, Prabowo did not fulfill the invitation to attend the halalbihalal and thanksgiving for the 22nd anniversary of PKS at the PKS DPP Office, Saturday (27/4/2024).

There is a plan to visit all political parties as a way to build camaraderie. However, the time will be determined later due to the fact that next week Mr. Prabowo has a series of activities with the ministry.

Dasco revealed that Prabowo will schedule a meeting with a certain party. However, once again, the timing has not been confirmed. "We are still waiting for the completion of (Prabowo's) series of activities before planning again," he said.

Regarding the possibility of PKS joining the supporters of Prabowo-Gibran, Dasco emphasized that this matter is still being coordinated and assessed together with the parties of the Indonesian Forward Coalition (KIM). Prabowo will first listen to input from all the chairpersons of the coalition parties.

Also read: Maintain Democracy, PDI-P and PKS are Expected to Stay Outside the Government

"That there are diverse opinions afterwards, that's normal. Later we will discuss, we will align the perceptions, and then come to a conclusion where Mr. Prabowo will make a decision. well, that's when we will know how big the possibility (PKS will join KIM) that will only be known then," said Dasco.

On the other hand, regarding the allocation of ministerial seats in the upcoming cabinet, according to Dasco, it is still being communicated among the supporting parties of Prabowo-Gibran. He also requested the public not to believe in the circulating social media news about the composition of the Prabowo-Gibran cabinet.

KOMPAS

Prabowo-Gibran Have Six Months to Disassemble the Cabinet

"Now, for that, we confirm that there is not a single correct version. Why? Because the process of forming a cabinet has not yet begun. Communications are still ongoing. Then, Mr. Prabowo is still looking at the existing portfolios and conducting assessments of the existing ministries, so it is too early for the arrangement of the cabinet to be released," said Dasco.

Reject PKS

Separately, the General Secretary of the People's Wave Party (Gelora) Indonesia, Mahfudz Siddiq, sees the joining of three parties, which are part of the Coalition of Change, to Prabowo-Gibran, including the discourse that PKS wants to join, as demonstrating critical narratives raised by the coalition parties supporting Anies-Muhaimin in the 2024 Presidential Election, only as a gimmick to gain votes.

"Because, after the 2024 Presidential Election series is completed, the Change Coalition supported by Nasdem, PKB, and PPP was immediately declared disbanded," he said.

He also criticized the attitude of PKS which opened up discourse and opportunities to support the Prabowo-Gibran administration to enter the cabinet and get a quota of ministers in KIM. According to Mahfudz, if PKS becomes part of KIM, it will be a signal of division between PKS and its ideological mass.

KOMPAS/PRAYOGI DWI SULISTYO

The General Secretary of the Indonesian Gelora Party, Mahfudz Siddiq (second from the left), shaking hands with the General Secretary of Gerindra, Ahmad Muzani, after a meeting at the Gelora Party Media Center in Jakarta, on Saturday (19/8/2023).

"If now PKS wants to approach because the political process is over, how easy is it for PKS to play their ideological narrative? What do their fanatic supporters say? It seems that there is a division of attitudes between the PKS elites and their supporters," he said.

Because during the 2024 Presidential election campaign, PKS always attacked Prabowo-Gibran especially Gibran, with negative narratives that sow discord and divide the community. "As far as I remember, during the campaign process, there were many ideological narratives circulating in PKS to attack the figures of Prabowo-Gibran," he added.

One example, according to Mahfudz, is the label of traitor given to Prabowo for joining the cabinet of President Joko Widodo and Vice President Ma'ruf Amin in 2019. He said that this narrative was first brought up by a political party that cannot be named.

Mahfudz emphasized that Jokowi and Prabowo have been reminding not to narrate things that lead to political and ideological divisions. "Narratives that risk further dividing society politically and ideologically. However, this is often reminded by President Jokowi and presidential candidate Prabowo," he said.

DOKUMENTASI PDI-P

Secretary General of PDI-P Hasto Kristiyanto while attending a coordination meeting held by the Majalengka Branch Management Council, West Java, Saturday (27/4/2024).

Meanwhile, the Secretary General of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), Hasto Kristiyanto, does not question Prabowo's maneuver to expand his coalition. For PDI-P, the current elites should be thinking about mitigating the issues facing the nation and the weakening of the economy in Indonesia.

Also read: Considering Various Inputs, PDI-P Holds National Working Meeting to Formulate Political Direction

"The PDI-P remains firm in prioritizing the interests of the people. Our decision, whether to be outside or inside the government, will be decided at the national work meeting that will be held on May 24-26," said Hasto.