Palace Denies Report on Looming Jokowi's Cabinet Reshuffle Plan

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Presidential Palace confirmed that President Joko Widodo or Jokowi has no plans to reshuffle his cabinet composition in the near future. 

"There is no plan for a cabinet reshuffle on August 14 or 15 as rumored," the Coordinator of the Presidential Special Staff Ari Dwipayana told Tempo via text message on Wednesday, August 14, 2024.

Ari relayed Jokowi’s statement that the appointment and dismissal of ministers is the President's prerogative to be used if necessary.

Previously, several sources from high-ranking officials from Onward Indonesia parties, Palace officials, and people close to the Palace conveyed the cabinet reshuffle information to Tempo. The news had also been reported in the Tempo Newspaper’s Tuesday, August 13 edition.

It is said that the president will reshuffle the Onward Indonesia cabinet sometime this week.

The president reportedly will remove politicians from the NasDem Party and the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP); Minister of Forestry and Environment Siti Nurbaya Bakar and Minister of Law and Human Rights Yasonna Laoly.

Gerindra Party member Supratman Andi Agtas will allegedly replace Minister Yasonna. Supratman was recently replaced by fellow party member Wihadi Wiyanto from his post at the House Legislative Body last Tuesday.

The candidate to replace Minister Siti Nurbaya is Raja Juli Antoni, currently Deputy Minister for Agrarian Affairs and Spatial Planning. Raja Juli is a member of the Indonesian Solidarity Party or PSI led by Kaesang Pangarep - Jokowi's youngest son.

One ministerial position will shift. Bahlil Lahadalia, the current Investment Minister, is said to replace Arifin Tasrif as the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources. Bahlil's seat will be replaced by Rosan Roeslani, Chair of the Prabowo Subianto-Gibran Rakabuming Raka’s National Campaign Team in the 2024 presidential election.

A Gerindra Party administrator also heard the reshuffle news. "Reportedly, it will be held on August 15," the party member said yesterday.

President Jokowi did not deny the news about the cabinet reshuffle plan. He said the ministerial composition will be reshuffled if the need arises.

"I still hold that prerogative," said Jokowi on Tuesday at the new capital, Nusantara Capital City or IKN, as quoted from audio received by Tempo.

Previously on July 18 this year, Jokowi changed the composition of vice ministers by appointing two people close to President-elect Prabowo Subianto, Thomas Djiwandono and Sudaryono.

DANIEL A. FAJRI

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