President Joko Widodo (right) presides over a cabinet meeting at the Presidential Office in Jakarta on Aug 5, 2024. President-elect and Defence Minister Prabowo Subianto is seen on his right. - Antara
JAKARTA: President-elect Prabowo Subianto will announce his cabinet lineup on Oct 21, a day after he and vice president-elect Gibran Rakabuming Raka are sworn into office, according to Coordinating Maritime Affairs and Investment Minister Luhut Pandjaitan.
The senior minister said that he heard about the plan from Prabowo himself on the sidelines of a cabinet meeting at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta on Monday (Aug 5).
“He told me, ‘I will be inaugurated on Oct 20, then I will announce the cabinet on Oct 21 and inaugurate them, then we’ll hold a cabinet meeting on Oct 23,” Luhut said on Tuesday, as quoted by Antara.
He conveyed his confidence that Prabowo would work swiftly to realise his programmes and solve other problems of the nation.
“Our country is very rich, and I’m happy that the president-elect understands that and has the will to solve our problems quickly,” Luhut said.
Luhut, who frequently crossed paths with Prabowo during their previous military service, added that he was optimistic about the president-elect’s incoming transition, with President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo instructing his cabinet to assist in the process.
“This is an important tradition so the next administration won’t start from scratch.”
Prabowo has promised a “very smooth” transfer of power since March, before the General Elections Commission (KPU) announced the official result that declared him the winner of February’s presidential election.
Among moves aimed at the smooth power transition is the appointment of Prabowo’s inner circle members as deputy ministers in mid-July.
Prabowo’s nephew and advisor for fiscal issues Thomas Djiwandono was appointed as deputy finance minister, while his former aide Sudaryono was picked as deputy agriculture minister.
A cabinet meeting slated for Aug 12, also the first to be held in the future capital city of Nusantara in East Kalimantan, is also expected to talk about the planning of future programmes, including the transition to Prabowo’s administration, according to State Secretary Pratikno on Tuesday, as reported by kompas.com. - The Jakarta Post/ANN
