FILE PHOTO: President Prabowo Subianto, who also serves as the chairman of Gerindra Party, is seen on a large screen on Feb. 15 as he speaks during the party's 17th anniversary in Bogor, West Java. - AFP
JAKARTA: The ruling Gerindra Party has recently seen a reshuffle in its top command, with analysts saying the move is aimed at maintaining internal stability for future electoral success, while also giving cues on upcoming changes in the government.
Gerindra is currently led by President Prabowo Subianto, who was reelected as party chair in February. Despite only being the third largest party in the House of Representatives, its members have influence over the country’s legislative and executive branches.
Prabowo unveiled the new lineup for the party’s central executive board on Aug. 1 in a party event at the Garuda Yaksa complex in Hambalang, West Java, where senior party figures gathered to receive the chair’s directive.
The new lineup saw changes to two key posts. Foreign Minister Sugiono was appointed as the new party secretary-general, replacing Gerindra’s longest-serving secretary-general Ahmad Muzani and ending his nearly two-decade tenure.
Muzani, who is also the speaker of People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR), now holds advisory roles as secretary of the party’s board of trustees and chair of Gerindra honorary council.
On his new role, Sugiono said on Tuesday: “Assuming [Gerindra’s] secretary-general role is a huge responsibility. They have had the same management lineup for about 17 or 18 years already.”
Another change was businessman-cum-politician Satrio Dimas Adityo as the new party treasurer after previously serving as Gerindra’s deputy treasurer. Satrio, a board member of a mining company linked to Prabowo’s brother Hashim Djojohadikusumo, replaced Prabowo’s nephew Thomas Djiwandono, also an incumbent deputy finance minister.
Analysts saw the reshuffle as part of the party’s internal rejuvenation, aimed at allowing room for generational change and managing competing factions within the party.
Political analyst Kennedy Muslim from Indikator Politik said the changes appear to be aimed at preparing a new generation of leaders inside the ruling party, with Sugiono, a loyalist often referred to as Prabowo’s “ideological son”, being central to the plan.
“The restructuring gives Sugiono a strategic political platform,” Kennedy said. “It’s a clear signal he’s being groomed as Prabowo’s future successor, both within the party and potentially on the national stage.”
Sugiono has been in Prabowo’s inner circle for decades. After retiring from the military in 2004, he later became Prabowo’s personal secretary, building a long-standing political partnership that would carry into the founding of Gerindra in 2008.
The restructuring also seemed to be aimed at maintaining balance among competing factions within the party, according to Agung Baskoro of Trias Politik Strategis. Analysts identified several factions within Gerindra, including one of former military officers, alumni of SMA Taruna Nusantara senior high school established by the Defence Ministry in 1990, civilians, family and business figures.
“Allowing any single group to dominate could disrupt internal stability. This is Prabowo’s way of keeping power evenly distributed,” Agung said.
Muzani’s shift to an advisory post is seen as a way to ease internal competition with party’s daily chair Sufmi Dasco Ahmad, widely regarded as the leading figure of the civilian faction. Dasco, a House deputy speaker, also now serves as deputy chair of Gerindra’s board of trustees.
At the same time, the rise of Sugiono, deemed representing both the Taruna Nusantara alumni and the military faction, to secretary-general can serve as a “counterweight to Dasco’s growing influence” within the party, according to Agung.
Meanwhile, Agung saw replacing Thomas with Satrio, a trusted figure within Djojohadikusumo’s circle, as strengthening the family faction, while reducing the perceived potential conflict of interests.
Sugiono’s appointment may also signal an imminent cabinet reshuffle. Agung noted that his current role as foreign minister, which demands frequent overseas travel, may conflict with the party secretary-general’s need for close and day-to-day oversight of party affairs. “It is possible that Sugiono could be soon moved to a ministry with more domestic focus,” Agung said.
Speculation also emerged that Muzani could be appointed the next Home Minister to replace incumbent minister Tito Karnavian. But the rumour was dismissed by State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi, who is also a Gerindra politician.
“Logically, it doesn’t make sense,” Prasetyo said on Monday (Aug 4). “He is the MPR speaker now. How could he suddenly become a [cabinet] minister?”
Several ministers also dismissed the reshuffle speculations, saying that the President had instead appreciated his cabinet for their “hard work, achievements and progress” when opening a cabinet meeting on Wednesday.
Gerindra’s internal reshuffle may also signal the party’s early start of preparations for the 2029 elections. A “unified and consolidated” Gerindra could strengthen its chances to dominate the next legislative elections.
But the party’s status as a dominant force may hinge on the performance of Prabowo’s administration over the next four years, according to Kennedy of Indikator Politik. “If his administration succeeds,” he said, “Gerindra’s chances of remaining a major party in the 2029 elections will be strong.” - The Jakarta Post/ANN
