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Prabowo's cabinet expansion plan raises budget concerns
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President-elect Prabowo Subianto (left), alongside vice president-elect Gibran Rakabuming Raka, delivers a speech in Jakarta on April 24, 2024, after the General Elections Commission (KPU) declared the pair the official winners of the 2024 presidential election. (Reuters/Ajeng Dinar Ulfiana)
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s the House of Representatives moves swiftly to increase the legal limit on the number of executive ministers, analysts have warned that president-elect Prabowo Subianto’s plan to expand his cabinet could get in the way of efforts to fulfill his campaign promises.
Prabowo is reportedly considering a plan to expand the number of ministries from the current 34 to over 40, a proposal that his camp says is meant to ensure a more efficient government.
Pro-Prabowo political parties in the legislature began deliberations this week on revisions to the 2008 Ministry Law, including on a provision that limits the number of ministries to 34.
A version of the draft revision of the law, agreed upon by members of the House Legislation Body (Baleg) on Thursday, says the number of ministerial posts should be “determined in accordance with the needs of the sitting president” by taking into account effective governance.
Political analysts say Prabowo may not face any serious hurdles to amending the law, given the near-supermajority support his coalition is likely to have in the House.
Prabowo’s coalition, dubbed the Onward Indonesia Coalition (KIM), initially consisted of four parties: his own Gerindra Party, the Golkar Party, the National Mandate Party (PAN) and the Democratic Party. Two other parties, the NasDem Party and the National Awakening Party (PKB), have pledged support for the incoming government.
Read also: Prabowo still focuses on fulfilling campaign promises, not cabinet makeup
