JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) – Newly sworn-in President Prabowo Subianto was sworn in Monday with Indonesia’s largest cabinet since 1966, with 109 lawmakers pledging a strong government.
He announced his lineup late Sunday, naming his cabinet of ministers, deputy ministers and heads of state institutions the “red-and-white cabinet” after the colors of Indonesia’s flag.
Subianto was sworn in as the eighth president of Southeast Asia’s largest economy on Sunday.
The cabinet of Subianto’s predecessor, Joko Widodo, had 34 ministers and heads of government agencies. Subianto’s cabinet will be the largest since 1966, when Indonesia’s first president Sukarno assembled a bloc of 132 ministers in the extremely tense political climate following the 1965 coup attempt. The so-called second Dwikola cabinet was dismissed a month later.
Subianto has previously said he needs a strong government, despite analysts saying his “bloated” cabinet would bloat the bureaucracy.
“I want to create a strong government that unites a multicultural society and diverse political interests,” Subianto said last week before inviting more than 100 people to a meeting at his official residence. “It must be a grand coalition. Some may say my cabinet is fat.”
The cabinet includes politicians from the seven-party coalition that supported his victory in February’s election, as well as people who collaborate with Widodo’s cabinet, which was reappointed to continue working under President Subianto. Analysts said the move was political payback for Widodo’s tacit support in the election.
Subianto was sworn in alongside the new vice president, 37-year-old former Surakarta mayor Gibran Rakabumin Laka. He chose Mr. Widodo’s son, Mr. Raka, as his running mate, and Mr. Widodo supported Mr. Subianto over his own former party’s candidate. The former rival has become a tacit ally, even though Indonesia’s president typically does not endorse candidates.
Subianto is Widodo’s long-time rival and ran for president twice, in 2014 and 2019, but never conceded defeat.
However, after Widodo was re-elected, he appointed Subianto as defense secretary, paving the way for an alliance despite opposing parties. During the election, Subianto ran as a popular successor to the outgoing president, vowing to continue key policies such as building a multibillion-dollar new capital and restricting exports of raw materials to boost domestic industry. Ta.
Mr. Subianto received Mr. Widodo’s support, promised to continue his policies, and won an overwhelming victory in the direct presidential election in February.
Subianto reappointed nearly half of Widodo’s ministers, including Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati, making him the first person to serve in the ministry under three different presidents.
The 62-year-old Indrawati, who previously served as executive director of the International Monetary Fund and executive director of the World Bank, is one of Indonesia’s longest-serving finance ministers, serving under Presidents Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Joko Widodo. He has held that position for a period of time.
She has earned considerable respect in the international community, particularly for her role in reforming Indonesia’s chaotic tax system and steering the country through the global financial crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic.
After her meeting with Subianto last week, Indrawati told reporters: “We have been in regular consultation to discuss strategies to strengthen the Treasury and national finances to support his programmes.” spoke.
Other ministers in Widodo’s cabinet include Interior Minister Tito Karnavian, Trade Minister Zulkifli Hassan, Energy Minister Baril Lahadaria and State Enterprises Minister Eric Tohir.
Mr. Subianto announced an ambitious target to increase annual economic growth to 8% by the end of his five-year term, and announced ambitious spending plans including increased defense spending, increases in public servant salaries and a program to increase the state pension. announced the start of the program. Provide free meals to 83 million children.
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This article has been corrected to show that Indonesia’s largest cabinet was established in 1966.
