Prabowo gains upper hand as Gibran’s exit weakens Widodo’s grip

ملخص مفصل

Indonesian Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka’s resignation may mark a turning point in the balance of power between President Prabowo Subianto and his predecessor, Joko…

Indonesian Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka’s resignation may mark a turning point in the balance of power between President Prabowo Subianto and his predecessor, Joko Widodo.

In 2024, Widodo, popularly known as Jokowi, helped carry Prabowo to the presidency, and his son’s elevation to vice president gave him a direct presence in the new administration. That bridge has now collapsed.

What this means for Jokowi’s network, often called the “Solo group” after the city where his political career began, is the open question. The network drew its strength from personal loyalty, access to state institutions, ties to political and business elites, and the assumption that Jokowi would keep shaping decisions after leaving the palace. Gibran was its most visible foothold in government.

He submitted his resignation to Prabowo on November 11, after 120 lawmakers from eight parliamentary factions signed a proposal asking the House of Representatives to exercise its right to weigh in on his eligibility. The proposal isn’t an impeachment and must clear further parliamentary and constitutional steps.

But its backing is broad: Opposition lawmakers joined members of Gerindra and Golkar, parties central to Prabowo’s coalition. The dispute centers on the educational documents Gibran used to qualify for the 2024 race.

This is not the first time Gibran’s path to the ticket has been challenged. He was 36 when Prabowo picked him as running mate, four years below the minimum age of 40. In October 2023, on the eve of candidate registration, the Constitutional Court ruled 5-4 that younger candidates could run if they had held elected office, an exception that covered Gibran, then mayor of Solo.

The court’s chief justice, Anwar Usman, is Jokowi’s brother-in-law and Gibran’s uncle by marriage. An ethics panel later found that Usman should have recused himself and removed him as chief justice, but it had no power to overturn the ruling, and Gibran stayed on the ticket.

The pressure on Jokowi’s…

One…

مطلع المقال، مقتطف من Asia Times. لقراءة المقال كاملًا، افتحه على موقع الناشر.