Prabowo Questions Parliament's Purpose Without Public Prosperity

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - President Prabowo Subianto questioned the purpose of Indonesia's legislative institutions if they fail to improve the welfare of the people, arguing that public prosperity is the ultimate goal of the country's independence.

Speaking at the closing ceremony of the 17th National Farmers and Fishermen's Week in Gorontalo Regency on Wednesday, June 24, 2026, Prabowo said Indonesia's independence was never intended to be an end in itself.

"That is why we became independent," Prabowo said, according to a livestream broadcast by the Presidential Secretariat on YouTube.

"We did not gain independence simply for the sake of being independent. What is the purpose of having the House of Representatives (DPR), the Regional Representative Council (DPD), or even singing the national anthem if our people are not prosperous?" he said.

Prabowo said generations of Indonesians fought for independence so that citizens could enjoy access to education, decent housing, and healthcare. However, he suggested that Indonesia's political elites had not done enough to improve public welfare or strengthen support for lower-income communities.

The president said those concerns were among the reasons he entered politics and continued pursuing the presidency despite several electoral defeats.

"That is why I remained determined and stayed in politics. I lost, I ran again. I lost, I ran again," Prabowo said.

The former defense minister under President Joko Widodo also urged Indonesians to place their trust in the country's leaders and government.

"We want to see our people smile. We want to see our people prosper. We have no other intention," he said.

Read: Prabowo: Only in Indonesia Do the Military, Police Manage Agriculture

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