Indonesia’s Widodo rejigs cabinet in move seen as boosting Prabowo, ensuring continuity
- Joko Widodo has picked key allies for his cabinet in an attempt that analysts say is to help fulfil Prabowo Subianto’s campaign pledges
During an inauguration ceremony on Monday morning, the incumbent swore in his close aide and former investment minister Bahlil Lahadalia as the new energy and mineral resources minister and Rosan Roeslani, who headed Prabowo’s presidential campaign, replaced Bahlil as the country’s new investment minister.
Supratman Andi Agtas, a member of Prabowo’s Gerindra party, was named minister of law and human rights.
This was Widodo’s fourth cabinet reshuffle in the past 12 months, with analysts saying it was surprising for an outgoing leader to make significant cabinet changes so close to the end of his term.
This reshuffle was likely to serve as a “foundation for the next administration,” said Wasisto Raharjo Jati, a political analyst with the Jakarta-based National Research and Innovation Agency.