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Tito’s post in spotlight as rumors of Cabinet shake-up intensify
The ministerial position held by Tito is very strategic, analysts say.
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Home Minister Tito Karnavian speaks at a press conference related to the government's preparation for the 2020 simultaneous regional elections in Palu, Central Sulawesi, on July 17, 2020. (Antara/Mohamad Hamzah)
Q
uestions have been raised over whether Home Affairs Minister Tito Karnavian can keep his job until the end of his term amid speculation that President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo may replace him with an Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) politician in the next Cabinet reshuffle.
The State Palace has yet to confirm if the President will reshuffle his ministers for the third time in the near future, but rumors have intensified in recent weeks that, given his position, Tito would likely be affected if a Cabinet reshuffle were to take place.
The ministerial position held by Tito is very strategic, Agus Riewanto, a political analyst at Sebelas Maret University, told The Jakarta Post recently.
Tito’s ministry, he argued, had the authority to appoint high-ranking state officials – including secretaries general, directors general and inspectors general – to replace 271 regional heads whose terms expire before 2024.
The five battleground provinces on Java island will have to be led by acting governors in 2022 (Jakarta and Banten) and 2023 (West Java, East Java, Central Java). The five regions are home to more than half of Indonesia’s voters.
Agus believes that that the President is likely to be under growing pressure to give the Home Ministry to the PDI-P, of which he is a member, as the ruling party has a strong interest in playing a key role in securing the upcoming election mechanism.
“There had been a tradition of filling the post with politicians from the PDI-P before Tito’s appointment,” Agus noted. “The PDI-P would have a strong interest in having firmer ground ahead of the elections and the simplest way to achieve that is by taking back the home minister’s post.”
