Jokowi Hints Cabinet Reshuffle As Ministers Want to Join 2024 Election

Liputan6.com, Jakarta - Indonesian President Joko Widodo or Jokowi has opened up the possibility of reshuffling the cabinet at the end of his period of duty. However, he has not said when a cabinet reshuffle would take place.

The president revealed his intention to do another reshuffle as multiple ministers and coalition parties openly speak of the presidential election in 2024. 

"Maybe (reshuffle). Yes, later," Jokowi said briefly to journalists in Bogor Regency, West Java, Friday (23/12/2022).

Some ministers who already show interest to run in 2024 are Minister for Defense Prabowo Subianto, Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto, and Minister for Tourism Sandiaga Uno. Meanwhile, Minister for State-Owned Enterprises Erick Thohir is also seen as a potential contender.

Prabowo is backed by his Gerindra Party, while Airlangga leads the Golkar Party.

Minister for Trade Zulkifli Hasan is also planning to win in 2024 along the National Mandate Party which he leads. But Minister Zulkifli has not named any potential candidate. 

Moreover, the National Democratic Party (Nasdem) is supporting former Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan for 2024. That move creates awkward position in their alliance with Jokowi's party, PDI-P, which opposed Anies in Jakarta.

Previously, the Executive Director of Charta Politika Indonesia, Yunarto Wijaya, revealed the results of the latest survey regarding the performance of Jokowi's cabinet ministers.

The level of satisfaction with the performance of ministers was reaching 60.5 percent.

"Only 32.7 percent of respondents said they were dissatisfied and 6.9 percent said they did not know or did not answer," Yunarto said during an online press conference, Thursday (22/12/2022).

Even though they were somewhat satisfied, the majority of respondents said they agreed when the survey asked about the urgency for President Jokowi to reshuffle the cabinet.

Moreover, Yunarto analyzed that the urgency to carry out a reshuffle could be related to the performance of ministers who have already made their preparations for 2024, whether it be a presidential candidate or a vice presidential candidate.

He also warned, if President Jokowi wants to leave a legacy in his government, then the need for the reshuffle will become the homework to improve the cabinet performance before the end of his duty in the next 2 years.

"So, these last 2 years will be a test for the government and president who are no longer able to run again in the election," Yunarto concluded.

The survey was conducted in the period 8-16 December 2022, using a multistage random sampling with a total of 1,220 respondents taken nationally. This survey has a margin of error of 2.82 percent with quality control of a total sample of 20 percent.

Writer: Safinatun Nikmah

Lizsa Egeham contributed to the report.