Prabowo reconciles with opposition through pardons

The Star

3 days ago

JAKARTA: President Prabowo Subianto has taken a major stride to reconcile with two convicted opposition figures by granting them clemency and eliminating their prison sentences, a move widely seen as an effort to curb dissent and stabilise his first term in office.
In an unexpected move, Prabowo submitted a request with the House of Representatives requesting abolition for former trade minister Thomas Lembong as well as amnesty for 1,116 convicts, including Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) secretary-general Hasto Kritiyanto.
Thomas was sentenced for 4.5 years in prison after the court found him guilty in a corruption case pertaining to raw sugar import.
Meanwhile, the Jakarta Corruption Court sentenced Hasto last week to 3.5 years in prison over bribery pertaining to a 2019 legislative seat appointment scheme.
House Deputy Speaker Sufmi Dasco Ahmad and Law Minister Supratman Andi Agtas, both from Prabowo's Gerindra Party, announced on Thursday (July 31) night that the legislature approved the proposal following consultations between the government and House party factions.
Supratman confirmed that he initiated both clemency requests, citing 'national interest, political unity and the individuals' past contributions' to the country.
'This is about thinking in terms of the republic. Both individuals have demonstrated service to the nation, and the priority now is to strengthen our cohesion,' he told reporters during the briefing at the Senayan legislative complex in Jakarta.
Deputy State Secretary Juri Ardiantoro reiterated national unity as the motivation behind the decision: 'If we want to move forward, it must be together through mutual cooperation.'
He dismissed notions that Prabowo was seeking to interfere with the legal process, stressing that all Indonesian citizens are entitled to equal treatment under the law.
Analysts called Prabowo's clemency for Thomas and Hasto a politicization of the justice system, warning that the decision risks eroding judicial independence and weakening Indonesia's anticorruption efforts. Constitutional law expert Bivitri Susanti slammed the move as a form of 'legal politicisation' with legal matters being settled through political means.
She warned that such actions could undermine the rule of law. 'It may appear to solve problems for [Thomas and Hasto] as well as their supporters. But this is still political interference. It could create a dangerous precedent for antigraft efforts,' Bivitri said.
She added that normal legal avenues, including appealing the court verdict, were still available, as legal teams of both convicts indicated that they had planned to file a petition with the appellate court.
Lawyers of both convicts welcomed Prabowo's decision to give their clients pardons. Hasto's legal representative Ronny Talapessy insisted that the case was 'politically charged since the beginning', while Thomas' legal team said that the abolition should not be seen as 'acknowledging wrongdoing'.
Both Thomas and Hasto's camps claimed both cases were politically motivated and driven by their criticism toward former president Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo, who tacitly backed Prabowo in last year's election. Thomas served as a co-captain of failed presidential candidate Anies Baswedan's campaign in the 2024 election.
Meanwhile, PDI-P, the only de facto opposition party in the legislature, has repeatedly said the probe into Hasto was an effort to target him for being critical to Jokowi, a former member of the nationalist party.
With both convicts pardoned, analysts see the chance of a strong opposition emerging against Prabowo's administration growing slim, as an amnesty for Hasto may influence how PDI-P may decide its stance towards Prabowo's administration.
Political analyst Kennedy Muslim from Indikator Politik said the move was 'part of Prabowo's natural inclination to build a giant coalition' to 'balance power among parties so that none become too dominant, except for the President himself.'
'It's a small price to pay compared to giving PDI-P a clear 'brand' as an opposition party for the next four years,' Kennedy said.
'They are poised to reap the political benefits should Prabowo's administration underperform.' Prabowo might also be trying to ease political friction and maintain stability as well as cooperation between the government and opposition-leaning forces, said Arya Fernandes of Jakarta-based Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).
An expected political reconciliation following the pardon suggests legal proceedings will be used as leverage in elite political negotiations, a trend which developed during Jokowi's administration and now persists under Prabowo, according to Ian Wilson, a senior fellow at the Indo-Pacific Research Centre at Murdoch University in Australia.
'It less sets a precedent than constitutes a continuation of the political weaponization of corruption charges seen in the previous administration,' Wilson told The Jakarta Post.
He suggested the pardon had shifted the country's political landscape, pointing out PDI-P chair Megawati Soekarnoputri's call for members during a party event on Wednesday to back Prabowo's government for 'stability', despite the party having yet to take an official stance towards the administration.
'Pressure will now be on Anies to do something similar,' Wilson said, 'and abandon his opposition movement-building efforts such as through mass organisation.'
Senior PDI-P politician Said Abdullah denied claims that the recent amnesty for Hasto was part of a political deal, stressing that such practices did not align with the party's principles.
'There was absolutely nothing transactional about it,' Said told reporters.
'Let's not jump to such conclusions. It's not in the character of our party, let alone Ibu Megawati.' - The Jakarta Post/ANN