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Ministers to resign from party positions
It wasnât for us: Embattled United Development Party (PPP) chairman Suryadharma Ali (second from left) denies that the appointment of party executive Lukman Hakim Saifuddin as a Cabinet minister is a sign that the party is set to join President Joko âJokowiâ Widodoâs Great Indonesia Coalition
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span class="inline inline-center">It wasn't for us: Embattled United Development Party (PPP) chairman Suryadharma Ali (second from left) denies that the appointment of party executive Lukman Hakim Saifuddin as a Cabinet minister is a sign that the party is set to join President Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo's Great Indonesia Coalition. The PPP is officially a supporter of former presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto and his Red-and-White Coalition. JP/Wendra Ajistyatama
As a show of commitment to President Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo's administration, supporting political parties have said that they are ready to order members who have been appointed to ministerial posts to quit party positions.
Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) legal division head Trimedya Panjaitan told reporters on Monday that the party was ready to follow the President's order that none of his newly appointed ministers may keep their positions within political parties.
'Pak Jokowi's stipulation that his Cabinet members must not manage parties means that Pak Tjahjo [Kumolo, the home minister] cannot work as secretary- general anymore, and Mbak Puan [Maharani, the coordinating human development and culture minister] can no longer be a faction head in the House of Representatives,' Trimedya said.
As the leader of the coalition that supported Jokowi's presidential campaign and current administration, the PDI-P has secured five ministerial posts.
Jokowi's policy is designed to break with former president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's tradition that party members could keep their positions, including chairmanships, while serving in public posts.
Arguing that it was his way to gain clout among his supporting political parties, Yudhoyono's policy is considered to have facilitated corruption, with many cases prosecuted by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) being related to government projects.
Yudhoyono himself during the last two years of his tenure served as Democratic Party chairman since the party, which was the political vehicle that brought him two presidential terms, was undermined by corruption cases involving former party chairman Anas Urbaningrum and former treasurer Muhammad Nazaruddin.
Both were found guilty and sentenced to prison terms for corruption and money laundering related to government projects.
Previous to the swearing in of his Cabinet on Monday, Jokowi said that he would require politicians accepting ministerial posts to resign from official party or corporate positions.
'None of my ministers will be allowed to hold two jobs. It is not clear yet if they will be able to handle just one job without problems,' Jokowi said.
As well as the posts given to the PDI-P, Jokowi has given three ministerial posts to the NasDem Party, three to the National Awakening Party (PKB), two to the Hanura Party and one to the United Development Party (PPP), which joined Jokowi's coalition two weeks ago.
PKB Central Executive Board Chairman Abdul Kadir Karding confirmed that all of the party's members who had been appointed as ministers would step down from their positions in the party.
'Pak Hanif will soon step down from his position as PKB secretary-general. The PKB is committed to ensuring that ministers from the party will not serve as party officials anymore. They must step down to focus on their ministerial work,' he said, referring to Manpower Minister Muhammad Hanif Dhakiri.
Ferry Mursyidan Baldan, the Agrarian and Spatial Planning Minister and member of the NasDem Party, said that he would submit his resignation from his party position in the near future.
'Tedjo and Siti have submitted their resignation letters, and I will send mine soon,' Ferry said as quoted by tempo.co, in reference to Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Adm. (ret) Tedjo Edhy Purdijatno and Environment and Forestry Minister Siti Nurbaya Bakar.
In the PPP, however, things are not quite so straightforward.
Embattled PPP chairman Suryadharma Ali insisted that Religious Affairs Minister Lukman Hakim Saefuddin, who is also a PPP executive, was not a representative of the PPP in the Cabinet. 'Lukman got the post because he has the ability. The PPP never asked Jokowi to select him as a Cabinet member,' Suryadharma said at the PPP office on Monday.
He added that the PPP remained loyal to the Red-and-White coalition led by Prabowo Subianto. (idb/ask)
