TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The political maneuvering in the run up to the 2024 elections is becoming more exciting. Golkar and the National Mandate Party (PAN) have officially thrown their support behind Prabowo Subianto. This is despite the fact that Golkar had been in communication to form a coalition in support of Ganjar Pranowo. With its latest move, Golkar is no longer insistent on making its Chairman Airlangga Hartarto a presidential candidate.

PAN has long been aligned with Prabowo. The party has even nominated Minister of State-Owned Enterprises Erick Thohir as a potential vice-presidential candidate alongside Prabowo. However, in their declaration on August 13, 2023, PAN did not mention Erick as the suitable candidate to run alongside Prabowo.

So where is the large coalition supporting Prabowo headed? There is growing speculation that Gibran Rakabuming Raka, the Mayor of Solo and the eldest son of President Jokowi, is gaining strength as Prabowo’s running mate. Gibran’s name has become a meeting point for various interests: Jokowi’s support and the cessation of infighting among his supporting parties for the vice-presidential position.

The problem is that Gibran Rakabuming hindered by the minimum age requirement to become a vice presidential candidate. But don’t worry, the Indonesian Solidarity Party is currently challenging this age limit at the Constitutional Court, which is headed by Gibran’s uncle. If the age limit challenge is accepted, Gibran will have a smoother path to becoming a vice-presidential candidate.

What about Ganjar Pranowo? He continues to build his image on social media because his electability now lags behind Prabowo Subianto. Jokowi’s pivot toward supporting Prabowo has resulted in Ganjar’s popularity stagnating. Jokowi’s stance stems from not being invited to participate in discussions over Ganjar’s selection by the Chairperson of the PDI-P, Megawati Soekarnoputri.

This political wrangling makes our politics increasingly feel like it belongs only to the elite. What is the purpose of all these maneuvers for the greater good of the people? This magazine has already warned of the dangers of Jokowi’s meddling in the 2024 elections. Our politics will become more convoluted if an incumbent president plays a role in determining their successor.

Of course, all these political maneuvers are still in flux. Anything could happen before October, and all these maneuvers could crumble due to the pragmatic interests of party leaders. However, observing maneuvers that primarily serve elite interests results in limited public participation in our politics. Once again, we are reduced to being mere objects, voters they need to gain power.

Aside from all this, we can enjoy the weekend with fun activities. There are many interesting articles in this edition. Such as the impacts of El Niño on food security or the cause of air pollution in Jakarta. There is also an article about octopus hunters of Mentawai Islands.Happy reading,

Bagja Hidayat

Executive Editor

Jokowi’s Intervention of 2024 Elections

Jokowi coaxed the National Mandate Party and the Golkar Party to join the coalition of Prabowo Subianto. Taking the people further away from the political process.

Illegal Nickel Mining

Law enforcement against illegal nickel mining must be accompanied by improvements to the management of the extractive industry.

Air Pollution in Jakarta

The government wants to tighten up emissions checks on vehicles to reduce air pollution. It is a wrong solution.

Octopus Fishermen in Mentawai Islands

Awareness of how fishing practices can be harmful is improved in Mentawai Islands, but there are still obstacles.