JAKARTA: Since taking office nearly two years ago, Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka has almost always occupied the seat beside President Prabowo Subianto during cabinet meetings, remaining at the President's side as he led discussions and set the government's priorities.
That arrangement changed on Monday (July 20), when Prabowo presided over a plenary cabinet meeting from the head of a horseshoe-shaped seating layout formed by several tables, while Gibran was seated elsewhere alongside some senior ministers, as well as State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi and Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya.
Flanking the President's table were two glass teleprompter screens, which officials later said were installed to help him deliver a data-heavy speech, despite his tendency to depart from prepared text during the one-and-a-half-hour session.
Even when Prabowo made his way around the room, greeting and shaking hands with cabinet members before the meeting, Gibran remained at his table, unlike on previous occasions when he accompanied the President.
The break from customary protocol quickly became the focus of public attention.
Photos and videos of the scene circulated widely on social media as users questioned whether the change hinted at a shifting dynamic between Prabowo and Gibran, who won the presidential election with the backing of Gibran’s father, former president Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo.
Since assuming the nation’s second-highest office, Gibran has yet to play a meaningful role, as seen in his lack of substantial duties beyond ceremonial appearances and his exclusion from strategic meetings, although he often goes on blusukan (impromptu visits) to maintain public support.
The fresh speculation of strain in the ties between the country’s top two leaders became so widespread that the President’s aides at the Palace and some executives of his Gerindra Party moved swiftly to rebut it.
State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi told reporters on Tuesday that the seating arrangement was driven solely by technical considerations, saying Prabowo needed space to use teleprompters while presenting data-heavy evaluations and instructions for the government's priority programmes.
Prasetyo, who is also the President’s spokesperson, dismissed suggestions that the seating arrangement pointed to strains between Prabowo and Gibran.
"There is absolutely no issue. We are working in close coordination. Everyone is focused on implementing the President's priorities and national programs," he said, adding that future seating arrangements would depend on operational requirements.
A day after the Palace issued a clarification, Gerindra executive Bambang Haryadi also sought to quash the speculation, issuing a written statement saying both the President and Vice President remained a team and any attempts to portray a rift between the two leaders were politically motivated.
He pointed to Gibran's frequent trips across the country to inspect government programmes and gather public feedback on the President's behalf as evidence that the Vice President continued to play an active role in the administration.
"Mas Gibran travels to the regions to ensure government programmes are running as intended, identify areas for improvement and to listen to the people's aspirations on behalf of the President. That is a tangible example of the unity between the President and the Vice President," Bambang said.
Political analyst Adi Prayitno said it was understandable that many people interpreted the seating arrangement as a form of political sidelining, given that the President and Vice President had always sat side by side at previous cabinet meetings.
He expressed hope that the controversial interpretations surrounding the seating arrangement would not undermine the pair’s working relationship, adding that a stable partnership was essential to maintaining political stability and enabling the government to tackle the country's key challenges.
Political analyst Arifki Chaniago, meanwhile, said Monday’s seating arrangement reflected an effort to reinforce Prabowo's position as the administration's sole centre of authority as political parties and ministers may begin looking ahead to the 2029 presidential election.
“By placing himself alone at the centre of the room, Prabowo is projecting power and sending a clear signal that under Indonesia's presidential system, there is only one political centre and one chain of command,” he said.
This, he added, was intended to discourage ministers from different political parties from making premature political calculations. - The Jakarta Post/ANN
