JAKARTA, Oct 16 – Outgoing President Joko Widodo is confident that elected President Prabowo Subianto has thoughtfully evaluated his decision to invite the 16 current ministers to continue serving in the forthcoming administration.
Speaking in Aceh on Tuesday, the President, also known as Jokowi, said: “Regarding the approximately 15 or 16 ministers in the current Cabinet, who were also selected by Prabowo, I believe this was done through careful consideration and selection processes.”
According to Jokowi, Defence Minister Prabowo’s decision has been shaped by their five years of collaboration since 2019.
Following his electoral defeats to Jokowi in 2014 and 2019, Prabowo reconciled with Jokowi and served as Minister of Defence to help foster political stability in Indonesia.
“And indeed, almost all the economic ministers present… well, that is what we call continuity,” Jokowi added, while emphasising that the formation of the Cabinet is ultimately Prabowo’s prerogative.
Prabowo recently convened with 49 prospective ministers at his residence in South Jakarta, including notable figures such as Bahlil Lahadalia (Energy and Mineral Resources), Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono (Agrarian Affairs and Spatial Planning), Zulkifli Hasan (Trade), and Tito Karnavian (Home Affairs).
Other key appointments may include Erick Thohir (State-Owned Enterprises), Airlangga Hartarto (Economic Affairs), Sri Mulyani Indrawati (Finance), Rosan Perkasa Roeslani (Investment), and Pratikno (State Secretary).
The former military general, along with elected Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka, is scheduled to be inaugurated on Oct 20 for the 2024-2029 term, succeeding Jokowi and Vice President Ma’ruf Amin.
