Opponents of Prabowo seek verification of his power through a poll, indicating public desire for a balance in authority.

In the aftermath of a controversial scandal involving hefty lawmaker housing allowances, Indonesian President Joko Widodo's administration is facing mounting pressure from the public. A survey conducted by Kompas, polling over 500 respondents across 38 provinces, revealed that 58.4% of Indonesians want at least one party to counterbalance the government in the legislature.

The political party that won the majority of votes in Indonesia's first free parliamentary election after the Suharto regime and currently plays an important role in balancing power in the Indonesian government is the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P). However, the PDI-P, led by Chairperson Megawati Soekarnoputri, has declared it is not the opposition, a position reiterated by House Deputy Speaker Sufmi Dasco Ahmad, who announced that lawmakers would face additional cuts after a review of electricity, communications, and transport costs.

The PDI-P's stance as a non-opposition party has been met with mixed reactions. Prabowo, the President, has not expressed any direct opinions about the opposition presence in parliament or the PDI-P's role as a counterbalance to the government in the legislature. However, he has defended the presence of soldiers on city streets, citing threats of arson and terrorism, and accused some people of trying to provoke anger and pit the public against the government.

The survey results help explain why massive violent demonstrations occurred, as parliamentary buildings were attacked, and at least 10 people were killed. Prabowo, in a closed-door meeting with local media, stated that he is paying attention to demands circulating on social media, calling some reasonable and describing others as open to debate.

The Prabowo administration, which has since agreed to scrap the controversial perks, has the largest majority since Indonesia returned to democracy. Backers of Prabowo's own Gerindra party and those from Suharto's Golkar favor bringing PDI-P into the coalition. However, no new information was provided about the disappointment with political parties or the backing of these parties for bringing PDI-P into the coalition.

The survey also highlighted disappointment with political parties, with 56% of respondents saying they fail to represent their aspirations due to corruption, broken promises, and poor public engagement. Prabowo vowed to enforce the law fairly and signalled openness to forming an independent investigative team. He repeated concerns that the protests have been excessive and stressed that democracy is a constitutional right.

Despite the ongoing controversy, the Indonesian government is facing calls for reform and accountability from the public. As the situation continues to evolve, it remains to be seen how the government will respond to these demands and whether the PDI-P will take on a more active role as an opposition party.