The arrest of communications and information minister Johnny G. Plate on corruption charges this week has sparked fresh calls by politicians for a Cabinet reshuffle, with at least one media mogul prepared to fill the newly vacant post amid a rush to influence the selection of a successor.

Johnny’s arrest and indictment by the Attorney General’s Office (AGO) on Wednesday set off a flurry of speculation over who would replace him and whether his party, NasDem, would be ousted from the ruling coalition amid a tense relationship between chairman Surya Paloh and President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo ahead of next year’s general election.

Johnny is a senior member of NasDem, a tenuously pro-government party that has announced its support for opposition figure and former Jakarta governor Anies Baswedan’s 2024 presidential bid. Anies, who consistently places among the top three presidential candidates in opinion polls, is the strongest contender to come out of opposition circles.

The President said on Friday that he had appointed Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Mahfud MD to temporarily take over the post but did not comment on his preferred replacement.

“What is clear is that the AGO will undoubtedly be professional and open about everything to do with the case,” he told reporters shortly before leaving for the Group of Seven Summit in Japan.

“We have to respect the proper legal process,” Jokowi said.

Among those being talked up as the next communications minister is media tycoon and United Indonesia Party (Perindo) chairman Hary Tanoesoedibjo, who supported Jokowi’s reelection bid in 2019. Hary was seen meeting privately with Jokowi two days before Johnny’s arrest, in what was his second visit to Merdeka Palace this year.

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