Jakarta. President Prabowo Subianto used a low-key anniversary event of his party on Friday to call for unity, as coalition partners openly began floating the idea of a second term for Indonesia’s new leader.

Prabowo arrived at his private residence on Kartanegara Street in South Jakarta on Friday evening to mark the 18th anniversary of his Great Indonesia Movement (Gerindra) Party with senior party officials and political allies. The celebration was deliberately modest — a prayer session and a ceremonial cutting of rice cone — but the political messaging was anything but. Top Gerindra figures, including House Speaker Ahmad Muzani, Secretary General Sugiono, and deputy party chair Sufmi Dasco Ahmad, were joined by cabinet members, lawmakers, and regional leaders.

Sugiono said the anniversary, held under the theme “United, Moving, Impactful,” was meant to reinforce party discipline and refocus cadres on delivering tangible benefits to ordinary Indonesians, particularly amid recent natural disasters. Prabowo was also expected to give internal guidance to strengthen party cohesion in the early months of his presidency.

Former president and Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP) chair Megawati Soekarnoputri sent a floral tribute — a small but politically loaded gesture in Indonesia’s fluid post-election landscape.

In the 2024 election, PDIP’s presidential candidate Ganjar Pranowo lost to Prabowo, who secured victory by pairing with Gibran Rakabuming as his running mate. Gibran is the eldest son of former president Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, who was previously a PDIP cadre and had publicly backed Ganjar during the campaign.

Despite winning the largest share of votes in the 2024 legislative election, PDIP has since chosen to align itself with parties supporting Prabowo’s government rather than positioning itself as an opposition force.

PDI-P Secretary General Hasto Kristiyanto described the gesture as part of a long-standing tradition and a sign of personal goodwill between Megawati and Prabowo, former rivals who now maintain a more pragmatic relationship.

Outside Gerindra, coalition partners are already talking about longevity.

Golkar Party chair Bahlil Lahadalia said his party is committed to backing Prabowo and Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka for the full five-year term, brushing aside questions about whether former president Joko Widodo’s influence could shape future alignments. Golkar’s support, he said, is locked in by party congress decisions.

"Golkar’s national congress has decided to support the government. And the government means our President, Prabowo Subianto, and our Vice President, Gibran Rakabuming, so we will support them until the end,” Bahlil said.

Other allies went further. National Awakening Party (PKB) leader Muhaimin Iskandar publicly declared his party’s readiness to support Prabowo for two terms, citing satisfaction with the president’s domestic and foreign policy performance. PKB, he said, is prepared to act as the “front guard” for Prabowo’s agenda — though he stopped short of endorsing Gibran as a future running mate.

Speculation about the 2029 election is already bubbling. National Mandate Party (PAN) figures have floated the idea of pairing Prabowo with party chair Zulkifli Hasan, but Gerindra has sought to play down the chatter. Dasco described the proposal as “a prayer,” stressing that Prabowo himself has said any decision on 2029 will depend on the success of his current term.

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