Gerindra Official Says Saiful Mujani Seeks to Oust Prabowo

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TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Gerindra Party Deputy Chairperson Habiburokhman has criticised political scientist Saiful Mujani over his remarks suggesting possible public consolidation to pressure President Prabowo Subianto, calling the statement “worthy of criticism” and politically motivated.

Habiburokhman, a senior Gerindra politician, suggested that Saiful’s criticism may not be purely academic in nature.

“We know that Saiful Mujani is a wealthy political elite who has been opposed to President Prabowo, including in the previous presidential election. Is Saiful Mujani’s criticism purely disseminated for reform, or is it just a partisan political operation,” he said in a written statement on Monday, April 13, 2026.

Saiful, founder of Saiful Mujani Research and Consulting, had spoken at an event titled “Halalbihalal Observers Before Being Regulated” in East Jakarta on March 31, where he joined other academics and analysts discussing the direction of Prabowo’s government.

During the discussion, Saiful questioned whether public consolidation could be used to push political change, including the possibility of forcing Prabowo to step down. “Can we consolidate ourselves to overthrow Prabowo,” he said at the time.

Habiburokhman accused Saiful of potentially harbouring political motives. “If indeed Saiful Mujani is eager to seize power, it is his right. However, the political cost to be paid by the people is too high if there are parties who want to seize power unconstitutionally,” he said.

He added that Prabowo’s performance should be evaluated at the end of his term in 2029, arguing the president still has time to fulfil his political promises.

Habiburokhman also said Prabowo remains committed to democratic principles. “Almost 1.5 years after President Prabowo came to power, not a single Indonesian citizen has been punished for criticizing or even insulting President Prabowo,” he said.

Saiful, however, said he had grounds to call for Prabowo’s removal from office, arguing that the president’s leadership has been “not presidential” and lacking inclusivity.

“Prabowo is not presidential. A presidential president for me is one who is inclusive, accepts diverse aspirations, and acts beyond partisan politics,” he said in a statement on April 7, 2026.

He said impeachment could theoretically be initiated by the House of Representatives, but questioned its feasibility given Gerindra’s political influence in the legislature. Waiting until the 2029 election, he added, was also too slow, arguing that some government policies could worsen national conditions and that leadership change should occur sooner.