Prabowo, Megawati get cozier amid calls for Gibran’s impeachment

President Prabowo Subianto has stepped up efforts to strengthen ties with Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri, sending a delegation to her private residence amid calls for Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka’s impeachment.

Gerindra Party executive and House of Representatives Deputy Speaker Sufmi Dasco Ahmad shared the news about the meeting on his Instagram account on Thursday (June 5), saying the delegation “received advice for the good of the nation under the leadership of Prabowo” during the visit a few days earlier.

Photos from the meeting showed Megawati having a conversation with Dasco.

They were joined by State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi of Prabowo’s Gerindra and three executives of Megawati’s PDI-P, namely House Speaker Puan Maharani, Said Abdullah and former law minister Yasonna Laoly.

Speaking to reporters later that day, Dasco, who is widely regarded as one of Prabowo’s right-hand men, said that he had been sent by the President to deliver a confidential message to Megawati, and he had received a response to relay back to Prabowo in return.

Dasco declined to disclose what the message was, but Prasetyo revealed a portion of Megawati’s personal message for Prabowo that reminded the President to “take care of [his] health”.

The meeting followed a warm encounter between Prabowo and Megawati during the ceremony commemorating Pancasila Day early last week at the Foreign Ministry’s Pancasila building, where the two exchanged jokes and pleasantries.

Political analyst Agung Baskoro said the meeting could have been a prelude to the PDI-P’s entry to the government, noting that the timing of the meeting coincided with growing speculation about an impending cabinet reshuffle – a window of opportunity for the PDI-P to secure strategic posts in the cabinet.

“Confidential talks might have touched on cabinet positions or the PDI-P’s role in the Red and White Cabinet. These are the kinds of things that Prasetyo and Dasco would usually need to discuss with Prabowo,” he said.

Despite speculation about potential political deals, Dasco stressed that there was no discussion about the PDI-P joining the government or cabinet.

“That question always comes up every time Gerindra and the PDI-P meet […].

However, there was no such discussion,” he said. Relations between Prabowo and Megawati grew warmer just as a group of retired military generals petitioned the legislature to initiate impeachment proceedings against Gibran, citing alleged violations of the Constitution, ethical breaches and concerns about his competence.

Gibran was a PDI-P member like his father, former president Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, until he was expelled for defying the party by running as Prabowo’s vice presidential candidate in last year’s election.

But analysts believe that the PDI-P’s entry into Prabowo’s cabinet will not come at the expense of Prabowo’s relationship with Gibran, and his father Jokowi, who, despite no longer being president, still holds political influence through his allies in Prabowo’s administration.

“Prabowo seems to want a new kind of legacy, different from previous presidents. He wants to be seen as a great unifier,” Agung said.

Analyst Lili Romli of the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) said Prabowo reaching out to Megawati should not be seen as an attempt to distance himself from Jokowi, who tacitly supported his presidential bid, nor as an indication that he supports calls to impeach Gibran.

“Even as he draws closer to the PDI-P, Prabowo is likely to preserve his ties with Jokowi for now,” Lili said, adding that Prabowo likely disagreed with the impeachment proposal and saw it as a threat to early-term political stability.

Lili said the communication between Prabowo’s camp and Megawati reflected a broader effort to preserve broader political stability and to shield his administration from disruptions.

Responding to journalists’ questions about persisting calls for his son’s impeachment on Friday, Jokowi said “the president and vice president are elected as a unified ticket” under Indonesia’s electoral system.

Jokowi also said that “impeachment can only happen if the president or vice president is involved in corruption, disgraceful acts or serious legal violations”, Kompas.com reported. – The Jakarta Post/ANN

Terbit di The Star