Weighing Successors to Gibran

NAMES of potential successors to Gibran Rakabuming as Vice President are being weighed. Discussions are swirling in party meetings and coffee shop conversations.

Several figures are being touted to accompany President Prabowo Subianto. Some are being pushed forward while others quietly hope to be chosen.

Since Gibran Rakabuming Raka stepped down on November 12, the Vice Presidential seat has been vacant, and the constitutional clock is ticking. It must be filled within 60 days.

This seat is not just a second throne; it is a waiting room for history, a place where government direction is weighed and public trust is tested.

Among those frequently mentioned are Sufmi Dasco Ahmad and Puan Maharani, alongside Amran Sulaiman, Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono, Pramono Anung, Ganjar Pranowo, Sultan B. Najamudin, Mahfud MD, Zulkifli Hasan, and Anies Baswedan.

These figures color public discussions before President Prabowo Subianto officially presents two names for the MPR to choose from.

The MPR leadership aims for the new Vice President to be elected and inaugurated by December 2, 2026. The President has 14 days from the MPR's request letter to submit two names.

Article 8 paragraph (2) of the 1945 Constitution is no longer just a written constitutional note but a path that must be taken.

I want to invite us to weigh in on this with a clear mind. It is not about who deserves applause, but what criteria are essential for the Vice President that the country needs.

The role of the Vice President is crucial to assist the President in advancing a development agenda that has faced many challenges in the past two years.

In a presidential system, the Vice President is not the second center of power; they are a force multiplier.

The right Vice President broadens the President's reach, fills in the gaps, and stitches together the loose threads among the center, regions, parliament, and the public.

Choosing the wrong Vice President could become a burden, a source of double interpretations, and even a gravitational center that pulls the political pendulum in another direction.

Therefore, this vacancy must be viewed as a moment. A moment to build trust, grow public support, and assert a unified direction in policy.

A strong government is not enough with just good programs. It needs a leadership partner that the people trust unconditionally and without footnotes.

In 2024, the Prabowo-Gibran package was perceived by the public as a continuity package. Gibran was not merely an individual but a representation of Jokowi and a symbol of past legacies brought into the new government. This is a political fact, not an accusation.

The issue is that symbolic continuity does not always align with policy continuity.

The past two years have demonstrated the opposite. The President is clearly undergoing a massive correction.

Analyzing through the lens of political economics, President Prabowo is often steering a different path from his predecessor's legacy. In fact, it can be seen as the antithesis to past residues. There are at least five indicators.