After Gibran Steps Down, Two Names for One Seat

In Senayan, NasDem, PKB, and PKS, the three parties that backed that pair, hold a total of 190 House seats.

This number would only carry weight for Anies if they are willing to support him again.

Prabowo must also weigh whether he wants to share power with a former opponent who has his own voter base ahead of 2029.

Senayan has previously shown how quickly calculations can change. In July 2001, after Megawati became president, Hamzah Haz from PPP defeated Akbar Tandjung from Golkar, 340 to 237 votes in the third round.

The mechanisms then were different. The lesson still holds. Party strength provides a starting point.

Support from outside the party can determine who reaches that seat (Hukumonline, July 26, 2001).

Once the seat is counted, both candidates need to be questioned about the work they will undertake. What is their track record when holding authority?

Can they work with the President and dare to voice objections when decisions need to be corrected?

Montesquieu reminds us that power must be limited to prevent abuse.

Here, the President needs to explain why these two names are being proposed.

The MPR must independently evaluate both candidates and explain their choice to the public (Montesquieu, De l'esprit des lois, 1748, and 1945 Constitution, Article 8 paragraph (2)).

The United States and the Philippines require approval from both chambers of Congress for a single candidate.

Gerald Ford, who replaced Spiro Agnew, received 92 votes to 3 in the Senate and 387 to 35 in the House.

In the Philippines, candidates must come from Congress. Under that rule, Senator Teofisto Guingona filled the vice-presidential seat after Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo became President (U.S. Constitution, 25th Amendment, February 1967, Ford Presidential Library, November-December 1973, Philippine Constitution, 1987, and Supreme Court of the Philippines, January 21, 2004).

When taking the oath as President after Nixon's resignation, Ford said, “I am fully aware that you did not elect me as President through your ballot.”

He said this to the American people in his first speech as President (Gerald R. Ford, August 9, 1974, translation).

From Halim, news of a letter reaches homes. If the position becomes officially vacant, two names will arrive at Senayan.

Far from there, someone might still remember how they rose early to head to the polling station, queued, and carefully folded their ballot. They entrusted their hopes for five years.

Once, in the polling booth, they had the right to secrecy in their choice. Now, those voting in Senayan owe an answer. Why that name?