Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto (front centre), and Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka (fourth row from right) pose for a group photo with newly appointed cabinet ministers after the swearing-in ceremony at the Merdeka Palace in Jakarta, Indonesia. On 21st October 2024 Photo Credit: AP
newly inaugurated chairman prabowo subianto Indonesia’s largest-ever Cabinet was announced on Sunday (October 20, 2024), with 109 members representing its pledge to a strong government. He named his cabinet of ministers, vice-ministers and heads of national agencies the “Red and White Cabinet”, referring to the colors of the flag of Indonesia.
Sri Subianto becomes the eighth President of Southeast Asia’s largest economy on Sunday (October 20, 2024). The cabinet of Mr Subianto’s predecessor Joko Widodo had 34 ministers and heads of government agencies.
Mr Subianto has previously said he needs a strong administration, although analysts say his “fat” Cabinet will bloat the bureaucracy.
“I want to form a strong government that will unite our multicultural society and diverse political interests,” Mr. Subianto said before inviting more than 100 people for interviews at his residence last week. “It should be a big coalition and some people will say my cabinet is fat.”
The Cabinet includes politicians from the seven-party coalition that supported his victory in the February election and people associated with Mr Widodo’s Cabinet, who were re-elected to keep their jobs under Mr Subianto’s presidency. was appointed. Analysts said the move was a political reward to Mr Widodo for his tacit support in the election.
Mr Subianto was sworn in alongside his new vice president, 37-year-old former Surakarta mayor Gibran Rakabuming Raka. He chose Raaka, Mr Widodo’s son, as his running mate, with Mr Widodo favoring Mr Subianto over his own former party’s candidate.
Former rivals became tacit allies, even though Indonesian presidents generally do not support candidates. Mr Subianto was a long-time rival of Mr Widodo, who ran against him for the presidency twice and refused to accept his defeat on both occasions in 2014 and 2019.
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But Mr Widodo appointed Mr Subianto as defense chief after his re-election, paving the way for a coalition despite their rival political parties. During the campaign, Mr. Subianto sought election as the popular successor to the outgoing president, and vowed to continue signature policies such as building billions of dollars of new capital aimed at boosting domestic industry and limits on raw material exports. .
With Mr Widodo’s support, Mr Subianto won a landslide victory in February’s direct presidential election on promises of policy continuity. Mr Subianto reappointed almost half of Mr Widodo’s Cabinet members, including Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati, making her the first person to hold the ministry under three different presidents.
Ms Indrawati, 62, who has served as executive director of the International Monetary Fund and managing director of the World Bank, is one of Indonesia’s longest-serving finance ministers, having served under President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and President K. Has held the position under for a long time. Joko Widodo.
He has earned considerable respect in international circles, particularly for his reforms of the chaotic Indonesian taxation system and his role in leading Indonesia through the global financial crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We regularly consult each other to discuss strategies to strengthen the finances of the Finance Ministry and the state to support their programs,” Ms. Indrawati told reporters after meeting with Mr. Subianto last week. “
Other ministers in Mr Widodo’s Cabinet include Interior Minister Tito Karnavian, Trade Minister Zulkifli Hassan, Energy Minister Bahlil Lahadalia and State-Owned Enterprises Minister Eric Thohir.
Mr Subianto has announced an ambitious target of increasing annual economic growth to 8% by the end of his five-year term and embarking on an ambitious spending programme, which will include increased defense spending, salary increases for civil servants and a program Is. Provide free meals to 83 million children.
published – October 21, 2024 11:26 am IST