Jakarta: President Prabowo Subantos has decided to withdraw two officials affiliated with Megawati Soekarnoputri, the matriarch of the de facto opposition of the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI-P), of his administration in the last reshuffle raised questions about the future of relations between the two politicians.
In what observers considered as an attempt to consolidate power, Prabowo mixed his cabinet twice this month and withdrew certain ministers and senior officials, notably the head of politics and security of the Budi Gunawan politics and the head of the National Public Procurement Agency (LKPP), Hendrar Prihadi.
Budi, a close confident of Megawati, lost his position in the cabinet for his presumed incapacity to control fatal disorders at the end of August fueled by economic inequalities that have become the greatest crisis that Prabowo has been confronted since his taking office almost a year ago.
Hendrar, on the other hand, is an eminent member of the PDI-P who has run the purchasing agency since 2022 during the second term of the administration of former president Joko Jokowi Widodos, when Jokowi was still a member of the PDI-P.
Hendrar has occupied many strategic roles in the PDI-PS regional structure.
He is currently heading his Semarang office in the traditional bastion of Java Central games.
Last year, Hendrar presented himself for the deputy for the center of Java at the center of the candidate of the Governor of the PDI-PS but lost against the candidate pair which was supported by pro-prabowo political parties and approved by Jokowi, who at the time had already separated from the PDI-P.
The cabinet’s upheavals came after the surprise of Megawatis to Merdeka Palace on August 30, when she was held alongside the leaders of the pro-government parties in a demonstration of support while Prabowo announced measures to respond to the requests of the demonstrators, including the cancellations of the controversial losses of the legislators.
The dismissal of two officials affiliated to the PDI-P of the cabinet has aroused renewed questions about the current state of relations between Megawati and the president and the possible change of the PDI-PS position to his administration.
Since his electoral victory last year, Prabowo has sought to bring PDI-P, most of the House of Representatives, to the government.
However, the party remained reluctant, largely due to the important roles of its member who has become enemies who became the member Jokowi and his son, vice-president Gibran Rakabuming Raka, in the Prabowo administration.
In recent months, the links between Prabowo and Megawati have strengthened, underlined by his decision to give forgiveness to the secretary general of the PDI-P founded in August, shortly before she announced that her party would adopt his position towards the government, even if it remains outside the coalition.
But the links between the president and his predecessor Jokowi, who helped him win the elections.
This is indicated by the recent signing of Prabowos of a settlement to move the headquarters of the government by 2028 from Jakarta to Nusantara, its strongest signal to date of the commitment to the project inherited from Jokowi in the midst of the tax constraints which could push the project on the edge of the path.
The Lili Romli political analyst of the National Research and Innovation Agency (Brin) said that the abolition of two figures affiliated with PDI-P would not harm the personal relationship between Prabowo and Megawati, stressing the fact that PDI-P is not part of the management coalition.
The personal relationship between Megawati and Prabowo must remain cordial and exempt from tension. Megawati probably understands that the reshuffle was motivated by the dynamics of the coalition rather than by personal or political animosity, said Lili on Wednesday, September 24.
However, it is likely to cause a change in the way PDI-P is positioned towards the PRABOWO administration, the party should adopt a more critical position on government policies and decisions.
The PDI-P can become more frank and examine more close government policies, said Lili.
And when the PDI-P becomes more critical, it remains to be seen if the cordial relationship between Prabowo and Megawati will continue.
Speculations have been widespread that Prabowo decided to remove the affiliated PDI-P figures that after receiving information that the opposition party could have played a role in fatal disorders.
Last Friday, Secretary of State Prasetyo Hadi denied that Prabowo had received such information and that she had motivated the president to withdraw Budi and Hendrar.
PDI-P spokesperson Mohamad Gunur Romli rejected the allegations that the party was involved in the riots at the end of August as well as base and misleading.
He accused anonymous groups of having tried to frame PDI-P as a scapegoat for the troubles. – The Jakarta Post / Ann
