President Prabowo Warns of Democracy Being Bought

President Prabowo Subianto has warned that democracy in Indonesia could be hijacked and bought by powerful economic entities. Speaking at the 28th anniversary celebration of the National Mandate Party (PAN) held at the Jakarta Convention Center (JCC), the President emphasized the need for vigilance. "We want democracy. Make no mistake, I am from the military, I support democracy, I support reform. But we must be careful that democracy can be hijacked, democracy can be bought," Prabowo stated. He specifically pointed to individuals or groups possessing vast sums of money, particularly those obtained through illicit means. Prabowo expressed concern that such financial power could be leveraged to influence various parties, including political figures and state officials. "They want to bribe our political figures. They want to buy, bribe judges, bribe prosecutors, bribe generals, bribe ministers, they want to bribe the president," he asserted. The PAN party's anniversary event, themed "Quick Move to Help the People," was attended by Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka and other key political figures. Putri Zulkifli Hasan, Chair of the DPP PAN faction, announced that as part of the anniversary, the party would launch several programs to assist the public, to be inaugurated by President Prabowo. One such program, "Pansar Murah" (Affordable Pansar), aims to provide essential goods such as rice, cooking oil, and sugar at prices 50-75% lower than the current market rates. While initially planned for August, the program was officially unveiled during the celebration. Putri stated that the Pansar Murah program will be rolled out across various provinces, prioritizing underdeveloped areas (3T regions) but eventually covering all provinces, including South Sumatra, North Sumatra, Kalimantan, and NTT. Registration will be conducted online, with participants receiving vouchers to redeem subsidized goods. Quotas will vary by region, with allocations ranging from 5,000 to 10,000 vouchers per province. She highlighted that food security is a priority for the government and that the program is designed to ease the burden on citizens. The event also saw the participation of various community groups, including motorcycle taxi drivers, healthcare workers, early childhood educators, MSMEs, fishermen, and farmers, underscoring the inclusive nature of the celebration.