Indonesian President Told to Move Swiftly in Replacing Empty Ministerial Posts

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com – Indonesian President Joko ‘Jokowi’ Widodo has been advised to fill the empty seats of two ministerial posts after arrests were made this month.

The Jokowi Cabinet is currently missing an Indonesian Fisheries Minister and a Social Affairs Minister after Edhy Prabowo and Juliari Batubara were both apprehended for their respective corruption case.

National Survey Media Executive Director Rico Marbun said that the longer the posts are kept vacant, the harder the president will face when making strategic decisions.

After the country’s Corruption Eradication Commission swooped in on two members of the Joko Widodo administration, the Indonesian President has appointed Indonesia’s Agriculture Minister, Syahrul Yasin Limpo as the Ad Interim Minister for the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries.

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Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Cultural Affairs Muhadjir Effendy has been tasked to temporarily take over for the Ministry of Social Affairs.

Rico explained that Edhy and Juliari’s status as suspects in a corruption case adds to the president’s pile of to-do lists.

Read also: Indonesian Minister Edhy Prabowo Arrested Over Lobster Seed Export

The cabinet of the Joko Widodo administration is still fighting the Covid-19 pandemic on top of the recent deadly altercation between the Indonesian police and sympathizers of Rizieq Shihab.

“If neither are managed and resolved properly then it could end in a social and political crisis.”

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Rico believes that the process of replacing the two members of the Jokowi Cabinet posts should be carried out fairly by the Indonesian President to ensure a conducive political climate.

Moreover, the successors for Edhy and Juliari should have similar backgrounds or individuals from a political party or are working professionals.

“Aside from considerations over competency, both positions must either be two people from political parties or two people who are professionals. Either political parties have a spot or they do not.”

(Writer: Tsarina Maharani | Editor: Kristian Erdianto)

Source: https://nasional.kompas.com/read/2020/12/08/16540711/pengamat-jokowi-akan-sulit-ambil-keputusan-strategis-jika-posisi-menteri