Indonesia: Widodo appoints Prabowo as defence minister
Wed 23 October 2019:
Indonesian President Joko Widodo on Wednesday appointed Prabowo Subianto, opposition leader in Widodo’s first term and sole challenger in April’s bitterly fought poll, as defence minister in a move that stirred disappointment among human rights defenders.
Widodo, popularly known as Jokowi, introduced the 34 men and women who made up his second term cabinet the on the steps of the presidential palace in Jakarta.
The 58-year-old president secured a second term in April elections, following a bitter campaign plagued by fake news online and claims from Subianto that the government staged a “massive, systematic and fraudulent” election.
At least nine people were killed in unrest that followed the poll and there was more violence last month when students took to the streets in their thousands to oppose new bills that critics say undermine the fight against corruption and threaten basic rights.
Announcing Subianto’s new role, Jokowi said: “I believe I don’t have to tell him about his job – he knows more than I do.”
After he was sworn in Subianto said he would immediately head to his ministry.
“I will learn the latest situation and then we will begin work,” he told reporters.
Since the election, the two have appeared together in a series of apparently friendly public meetings, including on Monday when Subianto, 68, hinted that he and another member of his Gerindra party had been tapped for top government posts.
Jokowi has often described his rival as a “good friend” in social media posts.
Prabowo’s support among conservative Muslims, including former sympathizers of the now-banned Hizbut Tahrir Indonesia (HTI), has led to rumors that he would turn Indonesia into an Islam-based state if he was elected.
The president’s long-term ally Luhut Pandjaitan, meanwhile, retained his role as coordinating minister for maritime affairs, which also oversees the natural resources sector and investment.
Yose Rizal Damuri at Jakarta’s Center for Strategic and International Studies said the presence of political party representatives in the cabinet remained significant, and could hinder progress on reform.
“Party representatives may have mandates from their own parties,” he said, noting that in Widodo’s first term cabinet “everyone had their own agenda”.
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