Cabinet’s Professionalism at Stake

President Joko Widodo faces a challenge in forming a Cabinet that is free of political party interests. He has stated that the Jokowi-Ma’ruf Amin cabinet will comprise 55 percent professionals and 45 percent politicians.

KOMPAS/NINA SUSILO

President Joko Widodo (right) meets with the sixth Indonesian president, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, on Thursday (10/10/2019) in the Jepara Room of Merdeka Palace, Jakarta.

JAKARTA, KOMPAS – President Joko Widodo faces a challenge in forming a Cabinet that is free of political party interests. His pledge to form a Cabinet dominated by professionals is at stake amid a scramble by political parties to be included in the government-supporting coalition.

President Jokowi has stated that the Jokowi-Ma’ruf Amin cabinet will comprise 55 percent professionals and 45 percent politicians. This emphasis on professional ministers was seen in the Cabinet of Jokowi’s first administration, which has 21 professionals out of 34 ministers.