OpinionHas Indonesia’s Jokowi chosen consolidating power over political experience in latest cabinet reshuffle?

In the lead-up to the 2024 presidential election, Jokowi should appoint a strong team to help him get things done instead of rewarding political loyalists

A cabinet reshuffle last month saw the appointment of candidates who lacked relevant experience for their portfolios

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Indonesian President Joko Widodo speaks to the media, as newly inaugurated Trade Minister Zulkifli Hasan and Minister of Agrarian Affairs and Spatial Planning Hadi Tjahjanto, who was former Indonesia’s military chief, stand besides him on June 15. File photo: Reuters

Published: 1:18pm, 26 Jul 2022

On June 15, Indonesian President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo carried out a cabinet reshuffle that saw him replace two ministers and add three new vice-ministerial positions.

The president appointed Zulkifli Hasan as the Minister of Trade, replacing Muhammad Lufti, and appointed Hadi Tjahyanto as the Minister of Agrarian Affairs and Spatial Planning, replacing Sofyan Djalil.

He also picked Raja Juli Antoni as the Vice-Minister of Agrarian Affairs and Spatial Planning, Afriansyah Noor as the Vice-Minister of Manpower, and John Wempi Wetipo as the Vice-Minister of Home Affairs.

While it is obvious that political considerations and the desire to consolidate his power drove Jokowi’s appointments, have they come at significant cost to technocratic effectiveness?

Oftentimes, cabinet reshuffles are used as a way to deal with leadership stagnation that hinders the cabinet’s ability to perform – something that Jokowi’s cabinet also suffers from.

The challenges have become more acute over the past two years, as the country deals with the ongoing crises of Covid-19 and the war in Ukraine which have resulted in cooking oil scarcity, increasing fuel prices and a looming food crisis. In addition, the Jokowi government has to deal with the ambitious project of relocating the nation’s capital from Jakarta to East Kalimantan.

In the light of these technocratic challenges, how would the new ministers and vice ministers measure up?