TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono or AHY is officially inaugurated as Indonesia’s new Minister of Agrarian Affairs and Spatial Planning in President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo’s administration today.

AHY’s inauguration simultaneously ended the Democratic Party’s decade-long role as an opposition in the government. Thus, the sole opposition in the Jokowi era House of Representatives remained the Prosperous Justice Party or PKS.

Previously, PKS spokesperson Muhammad Kholid stressed that PKS would remain consistent in its role as an opposition. During the recent election, PKS joined NasDem Party and PKB to back Anies Baswedan and Muhaimin Iskandar.

Meanwhile, the Democratic Party, initially an opposition, joined the Onward Indonesia Coalition to back leading pair Prabowo Subianto-Gibran Rakabuming Raka.

Antara reported that AHY’s move to join the government has been approved by his father, former president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, also the head of the party’s high council.

It was confirmed by Deputy Secretary General of the Democratic Party Ossy Dermawan on Wednesday, stating that AHY met with his father on Tuesday evening in Cikeas, Bogor Regency to ask for his approval.

Ossy said SBY did not attend the inauguration of AHY as he just arrived in Cikeas after a visit to Central Java and East Java.

The Democratic Party has taken the mantle of an opposition party since Jokowi took office in 2014. However, the political situation in Indonesia placed the Democratic Party on the same train as Jokowi through the Onward Indonesia Coalition.

YUDONO YANUAR

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