JAKARTA, Oct 2 (Reuters) - Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto named a new advisory council on Friday that includes tycoons, politicians and influential former Islamic leaders,the latest in a slew of personnel changes as he grapples with a declining approval rating.
• Among the 24 new members appointed are local billionaires Dato Sri Tahir, founder of Mayapada Group, andChairul Tanjung, CT Corp's founder,whose businesses focus on finance, media, retail, and hospitality.
• The council also includes two former leaders of theNahdlatul Ulama, Indonesia's largest Islamic organisation, and four senior politicians from Prabowo's coalition partners, three of whom are former cabinet ministers.
• The advisory council was established in 2006 and Prabowo did not appoint any new members in his first two years in office.
• The changes follow twocabinet reshuffles in three weeks that have seen new finance and foreign ministers appointed.
• "This is an extraordinary opportunity to share our experiences," the council's head, Pratikno,said after the inauguration.
• The new appointments are aimed at shoring up Prabowo's political power base, amid a ratings slide and public and investor concern about his administration's policymaking, saidAryaFernandes, an analyst at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies.
• "The big homework is ensuring that this advisory council truly plays a role in formulating strategic policies," he added.
• The advisory body also includesAnwar Usman, who was removed as Constitutional Court chief justice over an ethics violation in a case that allowed his nephew and current Vice PresidentGibran Rakabuming Raka to bePrabowo's running mate in the 2024 election, despite him not meeting the qualification criteria.
(Reporting by Ananda Teresia, Stefanno Sulaiman; Editing by Martin Petty)
