Jakarta – Gerindra Party Daily Chairperson, Sufmi Dasco Ahmad, emphasized that President Prabowo Subianto has the political right to convey support to candidate pairs in the Pilkada as long as they follow the applicable rules. This was stated by Dasco in response to Prabowo’s support for the candidate pair for governor and deputy governor of Central Java number 2, Ahmad Luthfi and Taj Yasin. According to Dasco, Prabowo conveyed the support in his capacity as General Chairperson of the Gerindra Party, not as President of the Republic of Indonesia.
Dasco emphasized that according to the regulations, a president who wants to campaign must still comply with applicable legal provisions, including the obligation to take leave while campaigning. “The president has the right to express support or campaign as long as he follows the applicable rules, including taking leave while campaigning,” Dasco said.
According to him, the provisions for state officials in campaigning are clearly regulated in the KPU Regulation, which provides limitations and requirements for state officials to campaign, including regarding the use of official facilities.
In a different place, the Head of the Presidential Communications Office, Hasan Nasbi, also provided clarification that Prabowo’s support for the Ahmad Luthfi and Taj Yasin pair in the Central Java Pilkada came purely from his capacity as the General Chairperson of the Gerindra Party. “Prabowo’s invitation to support the candidate pair for governor and deputy governor of Central Java number 2, Ahmad Luthfi and Taj Yasin was conveyed in his capacity as the General Chairperson of the Gerindra Party,” said Hasan.
This statement confirms that Prabowo continues to carry out his role by adhering to the boundaries between his position as president and his political rights as the head of a political party who has the right to support candidates nominated by his party.
Responding to this support, Al Azhar Indonesia University Academic, Ujang Komarudin, stated that Prabowo Subianto’s video support for the candidate in the Central Java Pilkada was not a form of intervention or “interfering” in politics. According to Ujang, the support was given by Prabowo as the General Chairperson of the Gerindra Party which indeed supported the pair Ahmad Luthfi and Taj Yasin.
“The video of support delivered by Prabowo Subianto is not an intervention or political interference and does not conflict with the law. The support was delivered by Prabowo as the General Chair of the Gerindra Party which supports Ahmad Luthfi in the 2024 Central Java Pilkada,” explained Ujang.
The statement also shows that Prabowo continues to respect the democratic process and applicable laws, while maintaining boundaries between his role as party leader and as President of the Republic of Indonesia.