AHY's Message to Prabowo: Demokrat Often Reaches Out to the People, Not a Political Maneuver

JAKARTA — Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono (AHY), the chairman of the Democratic Party, has sent a message to President Prabowo Subianto, asking him not to misinterpret the party’s recent moves that have been seen as increasing outreach to the public. AHY stressed that the intensity of the Democrats’ engagement with the public is not a pre-election manoeuvre but part of a momentum as the party approaches its 25th anniversary. ‘Mr. Foreign Minister, who is also the General Secretary of the Gerindra Party, please report to the President as patron of the coalition and patron of political parties. If the Democratic Party this year is somewhat more frequently reaching out because of the 25-year spirit, please do not misinterpret this as a political manoeuvre because the election is still a long way off. And we want to focus fully on supporting the administration of President Prabowo Subianto,’ AHY said at a Democratic Party iftar gathering at the Fairmont Hotel in Jakarta on Wednesday (4 March 2026).

He noted that the quarter-century journey of the Democratic Party has been full of dynamics, from joys to sorrows and the ups and downs experienced by the party. ‘9 September 2026, God willing, the Democratic Party will be 25 years old. A quarter of a century for the Democratic Party. In the journey of a political party, 25 years are certainly full of joys and sorrows, of ups and downs, sweat and tears. The Democrats have experienced all of that,’ AHY said.

‘And we are determined that in the future the Democratic Party can rise again and become solid to increase our role and contributions in government as well as in Parliament,’ he added.

AHY also invited all cadres to use the 25-year milestone as a moment to reinvent or rediscover the party’s identity as a political force that champions the people’s hopes and aspirations. ‘That’s our objective, nothing else. But perhaps we should pursue a path so that Demokrat is not at the very edge. In Parliament we are already on the edge, sir. We were at the edge there, now at the edge here. So when the plenary session is in progress, right? Let us not be pressed against the wall. We want to be strong again, stronger and stronger,’ AHY said.

He added that the Democratic Party shares a DNA or values with the Gerindra Party and can thus collaborate in supporting the government. ‘And the Democratic Party’s DNA has many similarities with Gerindra. So I think we can synergise and collaborate, of course with other parties,’ AHY said.

‘We, I think, want to continue to be present with the people. Earlier, the faction colleagues also showed efforts not only to greet constituents in their electoral districts but also to do something. The regional heads I think also have responsibilities, especially as executives who can implement people-friendly programmes,’ AHY said.

He assessed that these steps are important to rekindle public trust and confidence in the Democratic Party and the government that is currently in office. ‘This is important to rekindle the trust and confidence of our people in the Democratic Party and in the government,’ he concluded.