Image: Reuters Berita 24 English - Indonesian President Joko Widodo to reshuffle cabinet on Wednesday - coalition member Indonesian Presiden...
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| Image: Reuters |
Berita 24 English - Indonesian President Joko Widodo to reshuffle cabinet on Wednesday - coalition member Indonesian President Joko Widodo will restructure his government on Wednesday, according to a member of the ruling coalition.
Bima Arya Sugiarto, the mayor of Bogor city and a member of the National Mandate Party (PAN), claimed two ministers would be removed and that the news would come after parties met with the president on Wednesday afternoon.
"Parties will have lunch with the president, and then the new ministers will be sworn in," Bima stated in a WhatsApp message.
Another coalition party member, who did not want to be identified owing to the delicacy of the matter, confirmed the reshuffle will occur on Wednesday and that two new ministers and three new vice ministers would be appointed.
Following the summoning of many ministers to the presidential palace on Tuesday, speculation of a government shake-up has intensified.
On Wednesday, reporters gathered at the presidential palace in central Jakarta for the anticipated announcement.
Coordinating Economics Minister Airlangga Hartarto, Trade Minister Muhammad Lutfi, and Agrarian and Spatial Planning Minister Sofyan Djalil were among the ministers invited to the palace on Tuesday.
Non-cabinet officials who met with the president were PAN chairman Zulkifli Hasan and former military leader Hadi Tjahjanto.
According to analysts, the trade minister could be dismissed as a result of political pressure over his handling of policy initiatives to curb a boom in domestic cooking oil.
After imposing a surprise restriction on palm oil exports in April, Minister Lutfi blamed a "palm oil mafia" for undermining efforts to regulate cooking oil costs.
The export embargo, which has since been lifted, sent shockwaves across global markets and resulted in a series of arrests for alleged wrongdoing after an investigation by the attorney general.
According to political observers, the president may also consider appointing a member from PAN, which joined the ruling coalition last year.
According to a poll released on Monday by Charta Politika, which polled 1,200 people between May 25 and June 2, 63.1 percent of respondents supported a proposal to reorganise the present administration.
