Gibran Resigns, Is a Prabowo-Megawati Reconnection on the Horizon?

Following the revelation of the illegal wiretapping scandal against President Prabowo and Gibran's ousting from his vice-presidential role, PDI-P appears to be stirring.

This was evident during the PDI-P Party School event held on November 9.

During the occasion, Megawati stated that she had previously requested President Jokowi to replace Listyo Sigit according to the prevailing regulations, not for personal motives.

She also recalled her past experiences with wiretapping that led her to opt not to use mobile phones until today.

These statements, within the framework of political communication, are political signals indirectly aimed at President Prabowo.

The message is simple: PDI-P and Megawati are beginning to open avenues for cooperation with President Prabowo, even space for further exploration.

Let’s Not Go Too Far

It may be excessive for the public to frame the potential collaboration between President Prabowo and PDI-P with the prospect of proposing Puan Maharani as a vice-presidential candidate alongside President Prabowo.

However, what makes the most sense and is rational for President Prabowo is to support the power both in parliament and the cabinet to ensure the government runs robustly and swiftly to fulfill campaign promises.

If PDI-P enters, the legitimacy of government policies can advance more rapidly, owing to the majority seat control.

If PDI-P enters the cabinet, then the cabinet seats currently held by less-than-sterile political factions can be cleared.

President Prabowo certainly understands the basic political concepts like this. The real issue now is timing: whether to execute quickly or maintain a cooling-down mode to dampen any larger agitation.

As with discussions on vice-presidential candidates, it might be a bit too swift for the public to directly steer today’s issue towards political succession in 2029.

The crucial point lies in the impending change of the vice president's position.

If President Prabowo suggests a vice-presidential candidate from a political party to MPR RI, that choice would significantly recomposition the cabinet structure.