By Not Proposing a Vice Presidential Candidate, Parties Demonstrate Loyalty to Prabowo

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - Political parties supporting the government are perceived to want to demonstrate their allegiance and loyalty to President Prabowo Subianto by not putting forward a name for the vice-presidential candidate to replace Gibran Rakabuming Raka.

Executive Director of Indonesia Political Opinion (IPO) Dedi Kurnia Syah indicated that the political situation surrounding Gibran's resignation, including issues of loyalty and allegations of wiretapping, has led coalition parties to exercise caution.

"The momentum of Gibran's resignation coincided with a loyalty scandal and allegations of wiretapping. This could make all political parties in the coalition reluctant to be suspected of exploiting the moment, while simultaneously proving their loyalty and adherence to the President," Dedi told Kompas.com on Saturday (14/11/2026).

According to Dedi, this stance is also influenced by the absence of any coalition political party having a more dominant position compared to the others.

Moreover, Gibran is not affiliated with any political party in the parliament, which gives Prabowo greater freedom in selecting his successor.

"The fact that Gibran is not part of a political party in the parliament allows President Prabowo the flexibility to decide, even though the MD3 Law and to a limited extent the Election Law guide the successor vice-presidential candidates to be proposed from the coalition. However, currently there is no party in the coalition with politically greater rights than the others," Dedi explained.

Dedi suggested that Prabowo is likely to prioritize loyalty over capacity when selecting his running mate.

"The President will choose a vice-presidential candidate based on loyalty rather than capacity," he stated.

He predicted that Gibran's replacement is likely to come from Prabowo's inner circle or from the Gerindra Party.

However, there are also opportunities for candidates from coalition partner parties or individuals outside both groups.

"In this situation, many potential names are emerging, primarily from the President's own circle or Gerindra cadres, followed by coalition partners, and there is also a chance of candidates not coming from either group," Dedi mentioned.

It was previously reported that several political parties in the parliament have stated they would leave the decision on Gibran's replacement vice-presidential candidate up to Prabowo.

Deputy Chairman of the Golkar Party Ahmad Doli Kurnia stated that Prabowo is the one who best understands the type of candidate needed to support him.

"I believe we must grant complete freedom to Mr. Prabowo to find someone who has very strong chemistry with him," Doli told reporters on Friday (13/11/2026).

Gibran announced his resignation from the vice-presidential position on Thursday (12/11/2026).