Prabowo’s Capitulation in Constitutional Court Crisis Only A Partial Victory

Picture: Bay Ismoyo/AFP via Getty Images

In an article by The Interpreter, Nava Nuraniyah reports the abortion of a Local Elections Bill following a massive social media backlash and star-studded protest movement.

The DPR’s decision to withdraw the Bill was announced by the Deputy Speaker and right-hand-man of Prabowo Subianto, highlighting the involvement of the President elect.

While civil society activists are justifiably celebrating the outcome, it represents at best a partial victory. Prabowo’s acquiescence appears to be driven more by political calculation than genuine concern for constitutional and democratic principles. And although the Court ruling might improve the quality of electoral competition by introducing more candidates, Prabowo’s big-tent coalition has unmatched resources that could allow it to maintain its monopoly.

The crisis represents the first test in Prabowo-Jokowi partnership, which observers have compared to the Duterte-Marcos alliance in the Philippines. Prabowo, whose running mate Gibran Rakabuming Raka is Jokowi’s eldest son, owed much of his victory to Jokowi’s endorsement and political interference. In exchange, he was expected to protect Jokowi’s family interests and carry on his legacy, particularly the construction of a new capital city. But the public resistance to the Bill allowed Prabowo to dodge some of his political debts to Jokowi while posing as a hero to pro-democracy activists.