P

olitical parties within the ruling Great Indonesia Coalition hope to secure their ministerial positions ahead of a Cabinet reshuffle planned by President Joko '€œJokowi'€ Widodo.

While upholding Jokowi'€™s prerogative as President to conduct any measures to improve his Cabinet, including a reshuffle, parties within the ruling coalition have called on the President to objectively review the performance of all 34 ministers, particularly those chosen to represent political parties that support the government.

Senior members of the ruling coalition have expressed confidence that their representatives in the Cabinet have already delivered satisfying performances.

'€œWe have conducted an internal monitoring process to review the performance of our two ministers from the PDI-P [the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle]. And we conclude that their work is on track and in line with the government'€™s programs,'€ PDI-P secretary-general Hasto Kristiyanto told The Jakarta Post on Sunday.

Hasto was referring to the PDI-P'€™s Puan Maharani, who is the Coordinating Human Development and Culture Minister, and Tjahjo Kumolo, the Home Minister.

Hasto expressed his confidence in an objective review of Puan'€™s and Tjahjo'€™s performance, as well as those of other ministers, by President Jokowi, pointing out that Jokowi was now more mature and confident in leading the government.

He further reiterated the party'€™s call for Jokowi to prioritize changes within ministries that oversaw the economy in light of the country'€™s recent poor economic performance.

The NasDem Party, which holds four ministerial posts, expects that Jokowi will maintain the number of posts granted to the party even if the President axes its current ministers.

The four positions that NasDem currently hold are Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Tedjo Edhy Purdijatno; Agrarian and Spatial Planning Minister Ferry Mursyidan Baldan; Environment and Forestry Minister Siti Nurbaya and Attorney General M. Prasetyo.

'€œWe'€™ve already been assigned four ministers. It is the prerogative of the President to evaluate their performance [...] but we do hope that the President will ask us to submit new names [should the current ministers be dismissed] to replace them,'€ NasDem secretary-general Rio Patrice Capella told the Post.

'€œWe hope that the current four ministerial seats we have will not be reduced.'€

Speculation over a Cabinet reshuffle has increased following Jokowi'€™s announcement that he had received the required evaluation reports from his ministers and indicated that several of the Cabinet members were in the '€œred zone'€.

Jokowi is expected to further discuss the reshuffle plan with members of the ruling coalition later this week, billed as part of regular meetings between the government and the parties that support it.

Another coalition member, the United Development Party (PPP), is also confident that the President will keep its sole representative, Religious Affairs Minister Lukman Hakim Saifuddin. '€œBut of course we must first listen to the President'€™s evaluation of Pak Lukman'€™s work,'€ said PPP spokesman Arsul Sani.

The reshuffle plan may also welcome representatives of new political parties that have expressed an interest in joining the coalition, among others is the National Mandate Party (PAN).

PAN deputy chairman Bara Krishna Hasibuan said that despite the party'€™s formal position as a member of the opposition Red-and-White Coalition, the party could still join the government.

'€œWe haven'€™t actively approached the President to ask for a position [in the Cabinet]. But we will be open for discussion if the President feels the need to consult with us because we want the government to succeed in the face of the many challenges ahead, the economy especially,'€ Bara said.