November 8, 2024
JAKARTA – President Prabowo Subianto has told his cabinet that he will still be the man in charge during his upcoming international tour, even though Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka, who will remain in Jakarta, will temporarily assume the duties of president in his absence.
On Friday, President Prabowo will begin his first overseas trips since taking office, a two-week-long tour that will include stops in Brazil, China, the United Kingdom, the United States and Peru, as he seeks a more prominent position for Indonesia on the world stage.
The 73-year-old head of state led a cabinet plenary session on Wednesday to brief his ministers on urgent tasks and ensure the continuity of his government’s work during his absence.
In his opening remarks at the session, Prabowo encouraged his cabinet to reach out to him directly if urgent issues arose, telling them to “feel free to use technology to communicate” with him during his overseas trip.
“If you have conveyed the issue to the coordinating minister but still want to clarify it to me, do not hesitate to contact me. You can call me directly,” Prabowo said as he opened the cabinet meeting at the State Palace in Jakarta.
“We need to depart from strict protocols and feudalism because we all are colleagues working for the people. The Vice President and I carry the people’s mandate, but we are equally responsible for serving the public,” he added.
This will be the first time that 37-year-old Gibran, who is the nation’s youngest vice president since its independence in 1945, will take command of the government in Prabowo’s absence.
While there is no legal instrument governing the vice president’s temporary takeover of presidential duties on such occasions, Prabowo’s aides said the transfer of duties would follow the precedents established by previous administrations.
“As it has always been, when the president is abroad, the vice president will be given the task of carrying out the president’s duties in managing the government,” said Presidential Communications Office head Hasan Nasbi on Wednesday.
Gibran’s precise responsibilities in Prabowo’s administration remain unclear, although he has been conducting more field visits, holding audiences with foreign dignitaries and meeting ministers and deputy ministers at the vice presidential office in Central Jakarta.
Prabowo’s two-week overseas trip may give the eldest son of former President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo an opportunity to strengthen the vice presidential role and boost public trust in him, said Agung Baskoro, executive director of the research institute Trias Politika Strategis.
Gibran’s scope of duties, however, would likely be limited to “ensuring coordination and communication across ministries are synchronized”, he added, given that the President had already handed responsibility for domestic affairs to his ministers and coordinating ministers.
“He must ensure that he communicates well with Prabowo in carrying out his duties,” Agung said.
Aditya Perdana, executive director of Algoritma Research and Consulting, believed Gibran would be “in charge of ceremonial duties” while Prabowo was abroad, noting that the major strategic decisions of the early days of the Prabowo’s administration had already been made.
“The government is now in a period of adjustment. Ministries and other government bodies are preoccupied in working to consolidate their internal structure. This does not require the intervention of the Vice President”.
Lengthy tour
Prabowo told his cabinet he could not turn down the invitations he had received to the international forums and meetings on his itinerary, given their strategic importance to Indonesia.
“I will attend the APEC Summit in Peru and the [Group of 20] Summit in Brazil. I also accepted a state visit invitation from the Chinese government, a courtesy visit to the United States and a working visit to the United Kingdom to meet with the British prime minister,” Prabowo said, adding that he had also received an invitation to the Group of Seven summit, calling it an honor for Indonesia.
“I cannot avoid these invitations because they have strategic value and are related to our economic situation. We need to negotiate, explore potential collaborations and resolve issues with these nations,” Prabowo said, adding that the countries he was preparing to visit “represent major economic powers and are key to fostering growth in the Indonesian economy.”
Ahead of his US visit, Prabowo congratulated Donald Trump on his decisive win in the US presidential election. He said he looked forward to strengthening the two countries’ ties.
“Indonesia and the United States are strategic partners who share a robust and multifaceted relationship. Our strategic partnership holds immense potential for mutual benefit, and I look forward to collaborating closely with you and your administration to further enhance this partnership and for global peace and stability,” Prabowo wrote on his X account.
Aside from meeting US President Joe Biden at the White House, the Presidential Communications Office said Prabowo was also likely to meet the US president-elect.
“We will see how things develop there,” said the office’s head.