TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – The formation of the Presidential Staff Office has reportedly been one of the main triggers of the alleged rift between President Joko Widodo and Vice President Jusuf Kalla.
In an interview with Tempo on Thursday, March 19, 2015, Kalla said he was ignorant of the establishment of the Presidential Staff Office until the president installed retired Army general Luhut Binsar Panjaitan on December 31, 2014 to spearhead the office.
Kalla said he was disappointed at the fact that Luhut’s authority had been expanded to the extent of snatching part of his power as vice president—which Joko Widodo regulated through a presidential decree on the Presidential Staff Office on February 25, 2015.
Cabinet Secretary Andi Widjajanto, meanwhile, said the president had asked Luhut and his team to provide him with inputs and considerations on state issues. “The focus is to aid the president in overseeing and controlling national programs,” Andi said on Friday, March 20, 2015.
Luhut has set up his team in his office since January. The Presidential Staff Office, which mimics the concept of the White House’s West Wing, is headquartered at Bina Graha at the Presidential Palace complex. Luhut has been appointed as the chief of staff, assisted by five deputies—ballooning from the planned three.
The five deputies are Darmawan Prasodjo, the first deputy for evaluation and monitoring; Yanuar Nugroho, the second deputy for priority program management; Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa, the third deputy for management of strategic issues; Eko Sulistyo, the fourth deputy for political communications; and Maj. Gen. Andoko Wiradi, the fifth deputy for predictions and analysis of strategic information.
Luhut said he appointed Darmawan due to his extensive know-how in the energy and economy sectors. The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) politician is also known to have close ties with Luhut and the president.
Yanuar Nugroho, according to Luhut, was appointed at the president’s behest. Yanuar, a former assistant to the Presidential Working Unit for Supervision and Management of Development (UKP4) who earned a doctorate from Manchester University, is an old friend of the president since the latter was still in Solo.
Luhut handpicked Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa, an economist with Danareksa Research Institute, due to the latter’s contribution to Jokowi’s presidential campaign under the wing of volunteers helmed by Luhut.
Luhut admitted Purbaya’s appointment had sparked controversies, following his status as an ex-expert staffer of former coordinating minister for the economy Hatta Radjasa during then president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s tenure. “Professionally, he assisted Hatta, but during the presidential campaign he was helping Jokowi, but it was invisible,” Luhut said.
Eko Sulistiyo is a former member of Jokowi’s presidential campaign team hailing from Solo. Luhut said he chose Eko because of his strong networking in the society. “He will communicate with the parliament, political parties and volunteers,” he said.
Luhut has proposed the names to the president, and a Tempo source at the palace said the president had inked the proposals prior to leaving for Japan. “The five deputies will become President Jokowi’s bumpers,” the politician said, adding that the president made the move as he felt suppressed by a number of politicians in the coalition of parties supporting him in the presidential race.
TIM TEMPO
