Indonesia’s Prabowo urges elites to ‘be brave’, change how regional heads are selected

The president says the move is to stop wasteful spending and vote buying, but critics warn that it risks a return to Suharto-era politics

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Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto greets flood survivors during his visit to Southeast Aceh on December 1. Photo: Indonesian Presidential Palace/AP

Published: 6:30pm, 10 Dec 2025

Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto has revived debate over how the country chooses its regional leaders by using a major gathering of his governing coalition to urge political elites to “be brave” and consider scrapping direct elections.

Prabowo and his supporters argue that shifting to indirect regional elections would cut wasteful spending and curb vote buying, but analysts and activists warn that abandoning direct polls would undercut democratic accountability and risk reversing hard-won reforms as lawmakers prepare to rewrite electoral rules next year.

Indirect selection of governors, regents and mayors by regional legislatures was widely implemented during the New Order era under the dictator Suharto, but Prabowo is framing the mechanism as a pragmatic response to costly and candidate-centric local races.

“I am urging all political forces, come on, let’s be brave to provide solutions to our people, [let’s still be] democratic but not waste money,” the former special forces commander said on Friday at the anniversary celebration of Golkar, a part of his jumbo coalition.

A man votes at a regional election despite the flood in Tanjung Gusta, North Sumatra, on November 27, 2024. Photo: Xinhua

The people had already elected the members of the district and provincial legislatures (DPRD), he said. “Why don’t the DPRD members just elect the governors and regents? That’s it, done”.

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Indonesia’s Prabowo urges elites to ‘be brave’, change how regional heads are selected

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}The president says the move is to stop wasteful spending and vote buying, but critics warn that it risks a return to Suharto-era politics

The president says the move is to stop wasteful spending and vote buying, but critics warn that it risks a return to Suharto-era politics