Indonesia Navigates Post-Election Uncertainty as Prabowo Prepares to Assume Office
Indonesia faces a pivotal transition period as President-elect Prabowo Subianto prepares to assume office in October, with coalition-building efforts shaping the post-election landscape.
A potential post-election meeting between Prabowo and the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri seems imminent, as the PDI-P grapples with how to address Prabowo’s party’s victory in last month’s presidential election. Despite suffering a defeat in the presidential race, with candidate Ganjar Pranowo finishing a distant third behind Prabowo, the PDI-P secured a triumphant victory in last month’s legislative elections, clinching the popular vote for the third consecutive time since 2014.
According to Indonesia’s General Elections Commission (KPU), PDIP won 25.3 million votes for the House of Representatives seats. This means that PDI-P will have more dominance in the legislature for another five years.
However, the KPU will announce the seat allocation after the election disputes are settled at the Constitutional Court. It is expected that the disputes regarding the presidential and vice presidential elections will be decided on April 22.
With an expected 110 seats out of 580 in the House of Representatives, the PDI-P is likely to retain the House Speaker seat, maintaining control over the legislative agenda as mandated by law.
Although Prabowo managed to secure a landslide victory in the presidential race, his party placed third with 20 million votes. Prabowo’s team said it would welcome parties from its rivals in its House coalition.
Prabowo has reached out to various political factions, including the PDI-P, to form a stable government.
Hinting at a possible shift to an opposition role once Prabowo assumes office, the PDI-P recently signaled openness to a post-election dialogue between Megawati and Prabowo, citing their longstanding
personal rapport despite political differences.
While some PDI-P members remain skeptical of collaborating with Prabowo, others see potential benefits in maintaining dialogue to mitigate political tensions.
The uncertainty surrounding the PDI-P’s stance reflects internal struggles within the party, with analysts suggesting a 50-50 chance
of either supporting Prabowo or becoming the opposition.
Election Results Dispute
Ongoing disputes over election results, including allegations of nepotism and abuse of power, have led to legal challenges.
Prabowo’s rivals who lost in the presidential election, Anies Baswedan and Ganjar, had filed complaints with the Constitutional Court.
According to Indonesia’s election laws, the losing candidate pairs have the right to file a complaint about the election results with the Constitutional Court within three days following the release of the official results.
Both candidates are calling for a fresh election and the disqualification of Prabowo-Gibran, alleging electoral irregularities.
Along with other accusations, Anies’s team accused the current administration of unfairly attempting to sway the election by distributing large amounts of cash handouts, rice, and fertilizer to crucial voting zones, which they said had influenced the votes.
However, these accusations were denied by the current administration.
Prabowo declared that he and his group of 30 lawyers are ready to take on any legal objections. On April 22, the Constitutional Court will decide whether or not the victory of Prabowo and his running mate, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, is valid or not.
Meanwhile, Prabowo has pledged that once he assumes office, he will continue Jokowi’s policies, emphasizing continuity and honoring past leaders and he promises to uphold development initiatives and tackle pressing national issues.