National Unity Seen as Key to Supporting Prabowo Subianto’s Programs

JAKARTA - Senior political analyst Boni Hargens expressed his support for the statement of Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Sufmi Dasco Ahmad who emphasized that President Prabowo Subianto needed national unity from all elements of the nation, including civil society, to realize the government's priority programs.

According to Boni, the call for unity conveyed by Dasco has strategic significance in the midst of an increasingly complex and uncertain global situation.

"The spirit of unity that was initiated by Mr. Sufmi Dasco Ahmad is not only a domestic need, but a fundamental strength that is needed by the Indonesian nation today in the midst of increasingly complex global pressures and uncertainties," Boni Hargens told reporters, Friday, March 6.

Boni highlighted a number of global geopolitical dynamics that are currently affecting the stability of the world economy, such as the ongoing conflict in the Middle East and the Russian-Ukrainian war which has shown no signs of ending.

According to him, both conflicts not only have an impact on the countries directly involved, but also have an impact on other countries, including Indonesia.

"The conflict in the Middle East has a direct impact on global energy prices and threatens the economic stability of developing countries including Indonesia. Meanwhile, the Russian-Ukrainian war disrupts the world's food and energy supply and triggers global inflation," said Boni.

He assessed that Indonesia is currently facing various external pressures, ranging from commodity price fluctuations, global supply chain disruptions, to fiscal pressures. Therefore, the government needs broad support from the community to face these challenges.

"The government cannot face such complex challenges alone. Active and organized support from civil society is the energy that drives the government machine to continue working for the people," he said.

Boni emphasized that civil society support does not mean being passive or closing the space for criticism of government policies. Instead, the public can still participate actively and responsibly in the democratic process.

"This support does not mean being passive or blind to existing policies, but rather actively and responsibly participating in the process of nation-building and state-building," he said.

He added that there were a number of priority agendas of the government that required broad support from the community, including the food security program, infrastructure development, and strengthening public services in the education and health sectors.

According to Boni, the food self-sufficiency program, which is one of President Prabowo's government priorities, requires support from various parties, ranging from farmers, agribusiness players, to consumers.

In addition, infrastructure development is also considered an important prerequisite to encourage the equitable distribution of welfare throughout Indonesia.

"Every infrastructure project that runs smoothly is the fruit of a climate of unity that is maintained. Equitable connectivity from Sabang to Merauke is a prerequisite for equitable welfare," said Boni.

He assessed that Dasco's call for national unity was a response to a number of challenges facing the nation today, including the increasing social fragmentation in the digital public space.

"With unity, criticism becomes productive, ideas become focused, and contributions become meaningful. Without unity, everything is just noise that drains the nation's energy without producing real change," he said.

Previously, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Sufmi Dasco Ahmad emphasized that President Prabowo Subianto only needed one thing from civil society, namely national unity, so that the government's priority programs could run well.

"We need national unity and contributions that are not omon-omon. That's what we ask our fellow civil society," Dasco said in his statement.

Dasco assessed that the current civil society condition is often colored by unhealthy debates, especially on social media, which has the potential to divide.

"Today our civil society is not compact, we insult each other, especially on social media. I see it is unhealthy," he said.

However, Dasco emphasized that national unity does not mean closing the space for criticism of the government. According to him, criticism is still needed as long as it is delivered constructively.

"If we ask, Prabowo only needs one, national unity. Both in criticizing, giving ideas, and real contributions," said Dasco.

He also invited civil society to provide support and space for the Prabowo government to realize the welfare programs that have been promised to the people.

"I want to ask my fellow civil society, how long can national unity be given to Prabowo so that he has time to realize the promises of welfare for the people," he concluded.