Personal Political Relations and Executive-Legislative Coordination in Indonesia: Examining Prabowo Subianto and Sufmi Dasco Ahmad

This study examines the personal-institutional relationship between President Prabowo Subianto and Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives (DPR) Sufmi Dasco Ahmad and its implications for executive-legislative cooperation during Indonesia’s 2024–2029 administration. In multiparty presidential systems, personal ties among political elites may operate as informal institutions that facilitate political communication and coordination across formal institutional boundaries. This study employs a qualitative approach using document analysis of national media reports published between October 2025 and April 2026. Sources are selected based on their relevance to interactions between Prabowo and Dasco, executive-legislative coordination, and the communication of legislative concerns to the executive. The analysis focuses on documented interactions, reported coordination mechanisms, and their implications for institutional relations. The empirical findings identify recurring interactions and political communication between the two figures in the context of government coordination. Dasco’s concurrent positions as Deputy Speaker of the DPR and Daily Chairman of the Gerindra Party provide an institutional basis for interpreting his potential role in connecting party-political and legislative arenas. Theoretically, these patterns suggest that personal relationships may complement formal coordination mechanisms in coalition presidentialism, although media reports alone cannot establish the extent to which Dasco’s involvement directly shapes executive decisions. Normatively, reliance on personal channels raises questions about transparency, legislative autonomy, and the DPR’s oversight function under Article 20A of the 1945 Constitution. The study concludes that informal political coordination may facilitate executive-legislative communication but should remain complementary to formal institutional procedures and checks and balances.