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Jokowi installs more loyalists in Cabinet shake-up
The latest Cabinet reshuffle sees President Jokowi appoint figures from a pool of loyalists while remaining open to the idea of more shake-ups down the line if necessary.
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Newly inaugurated Communications and Information Minister Budi Arie Setiadi (center, foreground) shakes hands with President Joko “Jokowi“ Widodo (right) at the State Palace on July 17, 2023, as other new political appointees look on. (Antara/Desca Lidya Natalia)
With just over a year left of his second term in office, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo introduced on Monday a handful of loyalists into his Cabinet in a move that political observers say would help him consolidate power and chart a path to sustaining his legacy beyond the 2024 elections.
Exactly one month before his State of the Nation address, where he will likely table his last state budget for deliberation, Jokowi initiated a surprise Cabinet shake-up that saw him award the leaders of longtime volunteer supporter groups. He also expanded his Cabinet with supporters from his early campaigning days as well as the private sector.
To fill the gap left by embattled NasDem Party senior politician Johnny G. Plate, the President named Budi Arie Setiadi the new communications and information minister, promoting him from his previous post of deputy minister for villages, disadvantaged regions and transmigration.
Budi is the leader of Projo, one of Jokowi’s most prominent volunteer groups that has backed him since 2013 and was pivotal in both the 2014 and 2019 election triumphs. Budi is a close ally of Jokowi and continues to hold influence over tens of thousands of Jokowi fans, even as he nears the end of his presidency.
The President also carved out the new post of deputy communications and information minister and appointed to it former editor-in-chief of The Jakarta Post, Nezar Patria, whose last position in government was as an expert staffer for State-Owned Enterprises Minister Erick Thohir.
Paiman Raharjo, the head of Sedulur Jokowi, another prominent volunteer group, will succeed Budi Arie in his previous post. The group was reportedly formed in 2012, when Jokowi was still a fresh face in national politics and was looking to compete in the Jakarta leadership race.
Indonesian Ambassador to the United States and former head of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin), Rosan P. Roeslani, was promoted to deputy SOEs minister, replacing Pahala N. Mansury, who will become deputy foreign minister.
