Senior PAN Figure: No Serious Challenger to Prabowo in 2029, Including from PDIP

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - Senior PAN politician Drajad Wibowo assesses that to date, no figure has emerged as a serious challenger to Prabowo Subianto in the 2029 Presidential Election (Pilpres).

“So far, I haven’t seen any serious challenger. If there are cheerleader challengers, that’s fine,” Drajad said during the Gaspol Kompas.com podcast programme on Tuesday (28/4/2026).

According to Drajad, the political power map heading into 2029 still does not show any figure truly ready to rival Prabowo.

This is because figures who have surfaced in public have not yet demonstrated concrete steps.

When asked about the possibility of Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung becoming a candidate, Drajad said he has not seen any signs of movement towards the national stage.

“Mas Pram is more cautious. So I haven’t seen Mas Pram being prepared or preparing himself for the national constellation yet,” he said.

Drajad then compared the situation to former Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan, whom he assessed as quickly building a national stage while still in office.

“Mas Anies back then, when he was Governor of DKI, immediately went national,” he explained.

Nevertheless, Drajad emphasised that Pramono’s chances cannot be dismissed lightly given his background from a major party.

He believes that if PDIP truly prepares Pramono as a candidate, the signals will be clearly visible.

“Let’s wait and see, because Mas Pram comes from a major party. So we certainly cannot underestimate Mas Pram’s chances. If it’s decided that he will run, it will surely be evident,” he concluded.