It appears that Indonesian President-elect Prabowo Subianto is likely to gain the support of the NasDem party, despite the party backing a different candidate in the general election held in February. This support moves him closer to securing a majority in the new parliament.
Surya Paloh, the leader of the NasDem party, announced yesterday that the party is prepared to offer its “full support” for Prabowo’s upcoming administration, set to begin in October, as reported by Reuters.
After meeting with Prabowo, Surya indicated that NasDem was part of a coalition that supported Prabowo’s rival candidate in the February election but did not explicitly confirm whether NasDem would join Prabowo’s coalition.
During a joint statement with Surya after their meeting, Prabowo stated, “We agreed to collaborate for the benefit of Indonesians to the best of our abilities.”
Prabowo had a significant victory in the election, receiving over 58 percent of the vote compared to his closest rival, who garnered less than 25 percent. Since his victory was confirmed and complaints were rejected by the Constitutional Court, Prabowo has been engaging in talks with various parties to secure their support in parliament.
Prabowo’s party Gerindra, along with several other parties, make up the Advanced Indonesia Coalition which currently holds a significant number of seats in the House of Representatives. However, NasDem’s support would ensure Prabowo has a majority, enabling him to push forward with his legislative agenda.
In the efforts to build a broad coalition, Prabowo has been meeting with leaders of various parties, including those that were part of the opposition during the election.
Indonesia’s political landscape typically sees alliances forming based on the current agenda rather than strong ideological foundations. Prabowo aims to create a coalition that can support his policies and continue the developmental focus seen under the current administration.
Prabowo’s message after being confirmed as the election winner emphasized the need for unity among Indonesia’s political elites to work towards the country’s progress.