Why Saiful Mujani Says Prabowo Is Not Presidential

Founder of Saiful Mujani Research and Consulting (SMRC), Saiful Mujani, has revealed his reasons for stating that Prabowo Subianto is not a presidential figure to lead Indonesia. He said that Prabowo’s distance from presidential aspects has been evident since he was inaugurated. Prabowo, he stated, at that time emphasised that Indonesia’s democracy must be characteristically Indonesian. “For me, that statement reminds me of the New Order’s claims with the term Pancasila democracy,” he said in his statement on Tuesday, 7 April 2026. Pancasila democracy that operated during the New Order era is considered not a healthy democracy. Prabowo, he said, from the beginning has threatened the existence of Indonesia’s actual democracy, which is already regulated in the constitution. “He (Prabowo) is not presidential in understanding the basis of our current legitimate state,” Saiful said. Not only that, Saiful assessed the latest statement from the head of state who wants to regulate observers as showing a non-presidential attitude. However, he said, a presidential head of government should have an inclusive nature and accept diversity of aspirations. “A presidential president for me is one who acts and behaves beyond partisan politics,” he said. For Saiful, a president should protect parties that criticise and act as opposition in a democratic government. “Not mocked, threatened, and especially eliminated,” he said. It is not only the non-presidential attitude, Saiful Mujani assessed that various policies made by Prabowo reflect an inability to manage the cabinet. This, he said, is evident when Prabowo instead multiplies personnel in his government cabinet. However, Saiful still clearly remembers that the General Chairman of the Gerindra Party spoke about an efficient and clean cabinet. “The personnel (cabinet ministers) are very doubtful in their competence. Prabowo is not presidential,” Saiful said. Prabowo, he said, is also inconsistent with his promise to make Indonesia’s economic growth 8 percent. According to him, what Prabowo has done so far is contrary to that promise. For Saiful, Prabowo only speaks without understanding what he is really talking about. “Populist spending policies, such as free nutritious meals, the red and white cooperative, expansion of TNI territorial areas, involving many TNI in civilian areas, do not seem related to the growth rate (8 percent),” he said. At a halal bihalal event titled “Before Observers Are Regulated” on 31 March 2026, Saiful Mujani attended and conveyed his criticism regarding the government of President Prabowo Subianto. At that silaturahmi forum, the head of this survey institution invited the public to bring down Prabowo from the government as an effort to save Indonesia. Saiful Mujani’s criticism of Prabowo Subianto has become a topic of discussion recently. Former Head of the Presidential Office Hasan Nasbi assessed that the statement has the potential to create provocation. According to him, the statement is not appropriate to be conveyed in the current global conditions. Hasan assessed there is a tendency to bring down a legitimate government without going through a democratic process. “They claim to be democracy fighters, but they never want to understand the essence of democracy,” said Hasan in his statement, citing Antara on Tuesday, 7 April 2026. Hasan opined that provocative actions to impeach a legitimate government without a constitutional process constitute a violation of democracy. According to him, what Saiful Mujani did by inviting the public to bring down Prabowo is based on personal feelings. “You want to invite the public to bring down the president because your feelings are not fulfilled, because your desires are not achieved, that is something unacceptable,” he said. In a separate opportunity, Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya said he had not yet known what Saiful Mujani said. “I still have a lot of work. I haven’t seen what he said,” Teddy said at the Presidential Palace complex in Jakarta, Tuesday, 7 April 2026. According to Teddy, Prabowo also likely has not known the criticism launched by Saiful. “Especially the President. The President is handling big things, focusing on more strategic matters,” Teddy said.