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After 10 years, another Yudhoyono is back in government
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Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Hadi Tjahjanto (left) poses on Feb. 21, 2024, with Agrarian and Spatial Planning Minister Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono after their inauguration at the State Palace in Jakarta. President Joko “Jokowi“ Widodo appointed Hadi to fill the position left by Mahfud MD, who left the position to campaign as vice presidential candidate in the 2024 general election. Agus was appointed to replace Hadi for the remainder of Jokowi's presidential term. (Antara/Hafidz Mubarak A)
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emocratic Party chair Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono finally ended his nearly 10-year journey in the political wilderness on Wednesday when he became the new agrarian and spatial planning minister in President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s outgoing administration.
Agus replaced Hadi Tjahjanto, who was promoted to be the new coordinating political, legal and security affairs minister.
It is the first time that Agus has held public office since leaving the military in 2016 to pursue a career in politics, following in the footsteps of his father, former president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY), whose party became part of the opposition after Jokowi came to power in 2014.
Agus’ political career began with a trial by fire in the 2017 Jakarta gubernatorial election. With the backing of the Democratic Party-led alliance, Agus ran against the more experienced Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama and Anies Baswedan, with Anies eventually prevailing.
Following his defeat, Agus founded the Yudhoyono Institute think tank in 2017. He succeeded his father as the Democratic Party chair three years later in 2020.
As chairman, Agus consistently opposed the Jokowi administration and positioned his party as one of two opposition parties in the House of Representatives, along with the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS).
Last year, the Democrats and PKS joined hands with the NasDem Party to nominate Anies in the 2024 presidential race, with Agus rumored to be the strongest vice presidential candidate to run alongside the former Jakarta governor.
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