Photos by JP/Seto Wardhana, JP/Donny Fernando, Antara/Wahyu Putro

President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo seems to be using the formation of the Cabinet for his second term to consolidate his power by accommodating the varied interests of most political parties, including those of his former rival.

Such a consolidation of power, analysts say, was aimed at ensuring the government could smoothly implement its agenda over the next five years.

While the move would make the government more effective, it is feared that it would potentially weaken the country’s democracy if it lacks a checks-and-balances mechanism.

The likely posture of the upcoming Cabinet was revealed publicly in the past two days when candidate ministers were summoned to the State Palace in Jakarta to talk with the President.

After taking the presidential oath of office on Sunday, Jokowi spent two days inviting dozens of high profile people to fill the ministerial positions in his upcoming Cabinet.

Those invited ranged from professionals like Gojek founder Nadiem Makarim and former Constitutional Court chief justice Mahfud MD, to politicians like Golkar Party chairman Airlangga Hartanto, as well as Tjahjo Kumolo and Yasonna Laoly, both politicians from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P).

The Gerindra Party chairman and Jokowi’s rival during the 2019 presidential election, Prabowo Subianto, also went to the palace and claimed afterward that the President asked him to help “strengthen the Cabinet [...] regarding the country’s defense”.

Going along with Prabowo was Edhy Prabowo, the party’s deputy chairman, who was also nominated for a position in the Cabinet.

Gerindra’s unexpected move to join the Cabinet has upset some parties in the coalition, including the NasDem Party, which became at odds with the President after Jokowi invited Prabowo to the State Palace on Monday. Johnny G. Plate, the NasDem Party secretary-general, even said on Monday that his party might take a role in opposition.

In an unexpected turn of events, the general public watched on Tuesday as the NasDem Party, a member of Jokowi’s coalition, most likely secured ministerial seats for three of its politicians: Syahrul Yasin Limpo, Siti Nurbaya Bakar and Johnny.

Of the three, only Siti has a confirmed Cabinet post, as she said she is to continue to serve as environment minister in Jokowi’s second and final term.

"I said to him [President Jokowi]: 'Sir, I ask your permission to announce it to the media', to which he replied, 'OK Bu Siti, you may mention that there is an obligation to complete [your] duties [as environment minister]'," Siti said after her meeting with Jokowi.

Syahrul, a former South Sulawesi governor, told journalists that Jokowi had asked him about managing the people’s basic needs in agriculture, plantations, forestry and fisheries. Johnny, meanwhile, had a discussion with Jokowi about, among other topics, the development of start-up businesses, as well as national and personal data protection.

The nominees for Cabinet posts likely include outgoing National Police chief Gen. Tito Karnavian, whose resignation received approval from the House of Representatives on Tuesday.

House Speaker Puan Maharani said Jokowi sent a letter informing the House of the matter. She added Tito would be assigned to another position in the government and the President had named National Police deputy chief Comr. Gen. Ari Dono Sukmanto as acting police chief.

By having six parties in the ruling coalition, Jokowi has formed a grand coalition with only three parties in opposition, namely the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), which has confirmed its position there, the National Mandate Party (PAN) and the Democratic Party.

Jokowi had met with party leaders of PAN and the Dems to discuss the Cabinet but they had not reached any conclusions.

One son of Democratic Party chairman Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, Edhie Baskoro Yudhoyono, who is also a party member, said it had yet to decide its stance.

“This is the President's prerogative [...] we would only appreciate it and just watch and see," Edhie said.

PAN executive Yandri Susanto said that if these three parties, including PAN, were not invited by Jokowi to join the Cabinet, automatically there would be only the three of them to do the checks and balances in the legislature.

"Until now there has been no call [from Jokowi to PAN]. It’s Jokowi's prerogative. We don't propose names and do no special lobbying either," he said.

The upcoming Cabinet is to consist of at least 34 individuals from various backgrounds. As of 6:45 p.m. on Tuesday, at least 34 individuals had been invited to the palace, comprising 17 politicians and 17 people not with political parties.

A high number of people in the Cabinet would also force the President to increase the number of the deputy ministers who are expected to do technical jobs in several ministries.

Firman Noor, head of the Indonesian Institute of Sciences' (LIPI) Political Research Center, said it was reasonable for Jokowi to compose such a grand coalition Cabinet because he promoted economic development.

“He needs a solid and strong Cabinet that will support his agenda. He would make any decision to support his goals, including taking the opposition, which has the biggest potential to create a commotion during his term,” Firman said.

He was echoed by Indonesia Political Review executive director Ujang Komarudin, who said Jokowi was deliberately weakening his opposition.

“When his opposition is weakened, he would think his interest and agenda for the next five years will go smoothly,” Ujang said.

While a high number of people sitting in Cabinet might help President Jokowi during the first years of his second term, concerns linger that a grand coalition might become the beginning of an internal conflict within the Cabinet because of various growing interests.

“This Cabinet will have a tendency to become an elitist one because they only care about political interests rather than the people’s,” Firman said.

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