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Gibran Steps Aside, Prabowo on the Hot Seat

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President Prabowo Subianto (right) accompanied by Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka prepares to appoint deputy ministers and heads of agencies at the State Palace, Jakarta, Thursday (15/10/2026). President Prabowo Subianto appointed Lieutenant General Richard Tampubolon and Air Marshal Yusuf Jauhari as Deputy Ministers of Defense, Lieutenant General Kristomei Sianturi as Head of BNPB, and Satyawan Pudyatmoko and Major General Sriyanto as Head and Deputy Head of the National Peat and Mangrove Management Agency.(ANTARA FOTO/Hafidz Mubarak A)

PLANS for Gibran Rakabuming Raka to step aside from the vice presidency not only mark a change in state officials.

This event could close a chapter of political compromise that has brought Prabowo Subianto to the Palace in 2024.

More importantly, this change will alter the public's distribution of praise and hold on government accountability.

The news of Gibran's resignation being handed to Prabowo, as conveyed by Projo Chairman Budi Arie Setiadi, serves as a starting point for this political analysis.

Although its constitutional process still needs to be confirmed, this development raises a significant question: will Prabowo have more freedom to lead, or will he instead face a load that has previously been shared among various political forces?

The answer could be both. A decrease in political dependency does not automatically reduce the complexity of governance.

Conversely, as control over power increases, it becomes more challenging to shift responsibility to others.

End of the "Jam Session"

The coalition between Prabowo and Joko Widodo has resembled a jam session from the beginning. Two musicians with different journeys and characters come together to play a joint tune.

They do not have to share similar musical tastes. They just need to find a rhythm that allows them to win the 2024 Presidential Election.

Prabowo brings extensive experience and political strength. Jokowi has electoral influence and a power network built over a decade. Gibran has been the most tangible symbol of their compromise.

However, a jam session does not always produce a permanent orchestra. When interests change, each player may return to their own melody.

Gibran's removal does not automatically signify the end of the relationship between Prabowo and Jokowi. Networks, interests, and political influence do not vanish simply because one position is abandoned.

However, symbolically, this change is significant. Prabowo gains greater space to demonstrate that his administration is not merely a continuation of the previous power.

Here lies the paradox. What appears to be a successful consolidation can also become an increasingly heavy political burden.

Political history offers two intriguing experiences.