Zainudin tendered his resignation following his election as deputy chief of the Indonesian Soccer Association (PSSI) last week and Jokowi has approved it. After Zainudin, more ministers are expected to leave the Cabinet as they try their luck in the 2024 elections either as legislative, presidential or vice-presidential candidates.

Despite the exit of ministers, President Jokowi will remain strong and is unlikely to turn into a lame-duck president until he ends his second term in October next year. The most recent survey results by Kompas’ research arm revealed earlier this week found that nearly 70 percent of respondents were satisfied with his government’s performance. As he enjoys a very high rate of popular support, now is perhaps even the perfect time for him to shake up his Cabinet.

Zainudin, a senior Golkar Party politician, decided to relinquish his ministerial post in order to focus on his new job in the PSSI. Such a reason does not make sense to me because President Jokowi already gave him his blessing, the same way the President allowed State-Owned Enterprises Minister Erick Thohir to run for and win the PSSI chief post. Besides, Zainudin will sacrifice too much by surrendering his Cabinet post only for the "number 2” position in the PSSI.

The real reason to me is Golkar chairman Airlangga Hartarto has another person in mind to sit as youth and sports minister. There are no signs so far, at least publicly, that Golkar no longer wants Zainudin in the Cabinet.

Airlangga said the party would wait for Jokowi’s instructions because appointing and dismissing a Cabinet member was the President’s prerogative. “Nonetheless, we have capable cadres aplenty so we are prepared [to fill the post],” Airlangga was quoted as saying by kompas.com on Tuesday.

Erick and Zainudin won the PSSI chief and deputy chief posts respectively during its extraordinary congress, which was held following the tragic stampede in Kanjuruhan Stadium in Malang, East Java, on Oct. 1, 2022. As many as 135 soccer fans were killed in the incident, which occurred after the police used tear gas to disperse spectators after a Liga 1 match.

Erick, Zainudin and the entire PSSI board paid a courtesy call to the President at the State Palace on Monday. During the meeting, Jokowi asked the PSSI to draft a comprehensive blueprint for the development of Indonesian soccer.

For Erick, former president of Italy’s Inter Milan, the PSSI job can serve as a platform to boost his popularity in his bid to run for vice president, no matter who the president will be. Unlike Erick, Zainudin will contest the legislative election. He was a House of Representatives lawmaker prior to his appointment as sports minister, anyway.

But before the election, Zainudin has a moral obligation to tell the voters what he had and had not done as minister. His achievements are not that bad actually. Indonesia finished 55th in the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games with one gold, one silver and three bronze medals. In the ensuing Paralympic Games Indonesia won two gold, three silver and four bronze medals for to reach 41st place. In the Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games) in Vietnam last year, Indonesia finished third behind the host and Thailand, while in the following SEA Para Games in Surakarta, Central Java, Indonesia emerged as the overall champion.

Many Cabinet members, especially those affiliated with political parties, will contest the legislative election for the sake of their survival in politics.

There are several presidential and vice-presidential aspirants in the current Cabinet. The most prominent one is Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto, who has secured a nomination from his Gerindra Party to contest the presidential race. Prabowo has consistently been in the top three in opinion surveys in the past year, along with Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo and former Jakarta governor Anies Baswedan.

Another presidential aspirant from within the Cabinet is Coordinating Economic Minister Airlangga, although his popularity and electability rates have consistently been very low. The Golkar chairman may prefer to run for vice president.

Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Sandiaga Uno is also a potential vice-presidential candidate. Prabowo picked him as his running mate in the 2019 election.

Jokowi’s Indonesia Onward Cabinet consists of four coordinating ministers and 30 ministers, half of them politicians.

As the winner of the legislative election, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) got four ministerial seats. Golkar received three ministerial posts officially, not including Coordinating Maritime Affairs and Investment Minister Luhut Panjaitan who is also Golkar chief advisor.

NasDem and the National Awakening Party (PKB) also received three seats. Gerindra was awarded two posts, the United Development Party (PPP) and the latecomer National Mandate Party (PAN) have one seat each.

The resignation of Zainudin will be the right moment for Jokowi to prove his commitment to a high-achieving Cabinet. To realize this goal, he needs aides who share his vision, which he had drawn up as the platform he offered to the voters during the 2019 election campaign. It is a good chance for him to replace ministers who he no longer needs or those he cannot work with anymore.

The Constitutional Court has ruled Cabinet ministers who aspire to contest the presidential election do not have to resign. But at the end of the day, Jokowi has to take bold measures: ministers who cannot focus on their state jobs must go.

With only about one year remaining, Jokowi needs ministers who can help him fulfill his campaign promises and leave a lasting legacy for all.

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The writer is senior editor at The Jakarta Post.