Indonesia president Prabowo ‘entitled to support’ Central Java governor candidate, even as move raises questions among netizens

SINGAPORE: Indonesia president Prabowo Subianto’s endorsement of a candidate running for Central Java governor in the upcoming regional elections has raised questions on his impartiality among netizens. 

But the Presidential Communications Office has said Mr Prabowo did not violate election rules as the endorsement was made in his capacity as chairman of the Gerindra party.

Mr Prabowo’s endorsement appeared in a video that the Central Java gubernatorial candidate, Mr Ahmad Luthfi, posted on his Instagram account @luthfiyasinofficial last Saturday (Nov 9). 

Mr Luthfi and his deputy-governor running mate Taj Yasin Maimoen are with the NasDem party, which is part of Mr Prabowo’s Advance Indonesia Coalition. Mr Luthfi was previously head of the Central Java Police while Mr Taj Yasin was deputy governor of the province from 2018 to 2023.

In the video, which has gone viral, Mr Prabowo stood between Mr Luthfi and Mr Taj Yasin. All were decked in blue, one of the colours of NasDem’s logo.

“I believe these two figures are the right ones to lead Central Java,” Mr Prabowo said. 

He added the pair would continue developing the province and boost the economy, benefiting the public. Collaboration between the national and regional government was crucial to achieving a clean government and facilitating development in the country, he stated.

“They are the right team to work with me. We will make a good team, the regional team and in the government,” declared Mr Prabowo.

“Give your vote to Mr Ahmad Luthfi and Mr Taj Yasin, we will make a great team that can bring progress to the country, in Central Java and the rest of Indonesia,” he said.

According to an end-October poll by media company Kompas, Mr Luthfi is slightly behind his rival, Mr Andika Perkasa of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P). The regional elections take place on Nov 27 and Central Java is among the battleground provinces. The PDI-P has not joined Mr Prabowo's coalition.

Netizens have argued that Mr Prabowo’s endorsement goes against the country’s democratic principles as it gives the impression he is interfering in the regional elections.

“Such partiality is not fair to other candidates,” an Instagram user commented on Mr Luthfi’s post. 

“(Mr Prabowo) said the regional elections are supposed to be neutral but he endorses Ahmad Luthfi-Taj Yasin instead,” a netizen posted on X on Sunday. 

Responding to the concerns, Mr Hasan Nasbi, head of the Presidential Communications Office, clarified that Mr Prabowo’s endorsement did not breach election rules.

“As the general chairman of the Gerindra Party, Mr Prabowo is entitled to offer recommendations and support regional head candidates that are backed by his party,” he told local media on Sunday, as quoted by Detik. 

Mr Hasan added that state officials such as the president who belong to political parties are also allowed to express support for regional-head candidates.

“The neutrality rule only applies to the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI), National Police (Polri) and the state civil servants (ASN). Ministers, especially those from political parties, can endorse candidates and can even campaign,” he was quoted as saying by Kompas. 

Mr Prabowo’s endorsement of regional election candidates is believed to be unprecedented. Indonesia began holding regional elections in 2005 when Mr Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono was president, and simultaneous regional elections began in 2015 when Mr Joko Widodo was president.

Mr Prabowo appears to have endorsed other candidates contesting in the Nov 27 elections.

Over the weekend, Jakarta gubernatorial candidate Ridwan Kamil said Mr Prabowo has endorsed his campaign. “The governors that are backed by Mr Prabowo Subianto are the Ridwan Kamil-Suswono pair,” Mr Ridwan said on Sunday, as quoted by Kompas. 

Earlier this month, Mr Prabowo had also uploaded pictures of himself and Mr Ridwan having dinner amid reports that some coalition politicians have aligned themselves with Mr Ridwan’s rival, Mr Pramono Anung of the PDI-P.  

During a lunch event in Denpasar, Bali on Nov 3, Mr Prabowo expressed support for Bali’s candidate pair of Mr Made Muliawan and Mr Putu Agus Suradnyana from his coalition. 

Although the event was only attended by the governor and mayoral candidates that his Gerindra Party is endorsing, videos of him making the statement linked to his commitment to build a North Bali International Airport have circulated on social media.