Politics

West Java, the largest province in Indonesia, is home to the supporters of the President-elect Prabowo Subianto. Prabowo always won by a landslide in West Java in the last three presidential election. In the 2024 presidential race, Prabowo secured more than 16 million votes, therefore he will likely want his guy to win the West Java gubernatorial election that will be held this year on Nov. 27. But who will be nominated by Prabowo’s party, Gerindra, as West Java governor candidate? Will the nominee has a chance at winning the West Java gubernatorial election?

The gubernatorial election in Jakarta that will be held this year simultaneously with the other regional elections across the archipelago is truly interesting to watch in relation to the dynamics between political parties and the President-elect Prabowo Subianto, and the outgoing President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo. In that regard, it is also interesting to see that the Islamic party PKS, the winner of the 2024 legislative election in Jakarta and member of Anies-Muhaimin’s coalition in the 2024 presidential race, is reluctant to endorse Anies for the Jakarta’s 2024 gubernatorial election.

After adjudicating the post-presidential election disputes, the Constitutional Court (MK) is now having another important job of adjudicating post-legislative election disputes that have been filed by some political parties. The MK’s rulings on these post-legislative election disputes are worth waiting for because it will affect the dynamics between political parties and the President-elect Prabowo Subianto.

The Constitutional Court (MK) has rejected post-election lawsuits filed by the two losing presidential camps, Ganjar-Mahfud and Anies-Muhaimin. What will PDIP do next? Will PDIP become an opposition or join Prabowo-Gibran’s administration instead? We may find out the answer soon since PDIP is scheduled to hold its National Working Meeting (Rakernas) next month, in which its matriarch Megawati Soekarnoputri will likely announce her decision.

There are a lot of questions about the future of the two losing candidates, Ganjar-Mahfud and Anies-Muhaimin. What will they do next after the Constitutional Court (MK) reads its ruling today (Apr. 22) in case the MK justices reject their lawsuits? Can Ganjar-Mahfud and Anies-Muhaimin remain to be relevant in Indonesian politics?

Today, Apr. 22, the Constitutional Court (MK) will read its ruling on a post-election dispute between the two losing candidates, Ganjar-Mahfud and Anies-Muhaimin, and the General Election Commission (KPU). The question is whether the MK will rule in favor of the losing candidates or uphold the result of the 2024 presidential election counted by the KPU that pointed to the victory of Prabowo-Gibran? And what will happen next after the MK’s decision?

Golkar has so far been very aggressive in making preparation for the upcoming simultaneous regional elections, compared to the other major parties. The Party has announced its governor candidates for some major provinces that will hold a gubernatorial election this year. Most recently, Golkar announced the nomination of Ridwan Kamil, a former popular governor of West Java, to re-enter the West Java’s 2024 gubernatorial election.

The President-elect Prabowo Subianto is busy with meetings during the Lebaran (Eid al-Fitr) holidays. For example, he met with the outgoing President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo twice at the State Palace Jakarta. Will Prabowo meet with the fifth President Megawati Soekarnoputri, who is the matriarch of PDIP, or at least with Megawati’s daughter, Puan Maharani?

Puan Maharani, daughter of the PDIP Matriarch Megawati Soekarnoputri, has been given two important tasks. First, Megawati has nominated Puan to serve as the House Speaker for another period of 2024-2029. Second, Puan has been also tasked to open communication with the President-elect Prabowo Subianto, who is the chairman of Gerindra Party.