Expert: Prabowo Needs Reshuffle to Improve Electability

Political communication expert from Esa Unggul University, Jamiluddin Ritonga, has stated that President Prabowo Subianto needs to conduct a major evaluation, including a cabinet reshuffle, to improve his electability following a drastic decline in a recent Saiful Mujani Research and Consulting (SMRC) survey. The survey results show that over the past nine months, Prabowo’s electability in a semi-open simulation fell from 34.9 percent in November 2026 to 14.5 percent in July 2026. Meanwhile, West Java Governor Dedi Mulyadi’s electability rose from 19.7 percent to 35 percent during the same period. This decline aligns with a drop in public satisfaction with Prabowo’s performance, which fell from 81.2 percent in November 2025 to 51.1 percent in July 2026. Jamiluddin Ritonga said the decline in electability should serve as a warning for Prabowo. He stated that if the decline is consistent, Prabowo’s chances of being re-elected in the 2029 presidential election would be relatively small. He added that if Prabowo fails to improve economic conditions, politics, and law enforcement, his electability could plummet further. Therefore, Jamiluddin urged Prabowo to immediately seek drastic solutions, including evaluating all ministers in the economic, political, and legal sectors. He emphasised that Prabowo must be firm and brave enough to reshuffle ministers in these three areas, as without such courage, it would be difficult to restore public trust. Jamiluddin noted that while the decision is very difficult, it must be taken if Prabowo wishes to boost his electability again. SMRC Executive Director Deni Irvani remarked that it is interesting that Prabowo, as an incumbent who recently won the presidential election, has seen his electability weaken so significantly. The survey was conducted from 5 to 19 July 2026, involving 749 randomly selected respondents with voting rights, interviewed by telephone or face-to-face, with a margin of error of approximately 3.7 percent at a 95 percent confidence level.