TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Three ministers in President Joko Widodo’s Working Cabinet hailing from the National Democrat (NasDem) Party have resigned from the party in light of their ministerial installation.
The three ministers are Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Tedjo Edy Purdjianto, Agrarian and Spatial Planning Minister Ferry Mursyidan Baldan and Environment and Forestry Minister Siti Nurbaya.
Ferry and Siti personally submitted their resignation letters—Tedjo was absent—to NasDem chairman Surya Paloh through secretary general Patrice Rio Capella at the party’s headquarters in Jakarta on Monday night, October 27, 2014.
“This is a form of our commitment to President Jokowi, who doesn’t want his ministers to have two jobs [with the other one being] at political parties,” Ferry said. Ferry added he and his two colleagues had already talked to Surya Paloh on their resignation following their appointment as ministers on Monday.
National Democrat secretary general Patrice Rio Capella said the party accepted their resignation, while hoping that they could do their best in the Cabinet.
PRIHANDOKO