Jokowi summons more figures to State Palace

JAKARTA. President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo, who has yet to finalize his Cabinet, summoned more figures on Thursday for separate closed-door meetings at the State Palace, including persons believed to have been endorsed by the political parties grouped in Jokowi's governing coalition.

Among those summoned included National Awakening Party (PKB) politicians Marwan Ja'far, Hanif Dakhiri and Muhammad Nasir.

Marwan confirmed that they were the candidates the PKB had proposed to Jokowi after PKB party chairman Muhaimin Iskandar, who has been implicated in a 2011 graft case during his tenure as minister of the Manpower and Transmigration Ministry, hinted he would not accept a ministerial post.

In addition, speculation was rife in the Palace that PKB deputy chairman Rusdi Kirana, who is also owner of the nation’s largest privately-run airline, Lion Air, was among the ministerial candidates.

NasDem Party politicians Enggartiasto Lukita and Ferry Mursyidan Baldan were also summoned on Thursday, amid speculation that the party would receive two seats.

On Wednesday, Jokowi summoned another NasDem politician, Siti Nurbaya, who is believed to have been tipped for a Cabinet post.

Owner of PT Susi Pudjiastuti Aviation (Susi Air), the country’s largest chartered and pioneer route carrier Susi Pudjiastuti and a retired general and former Golkar Party politician, Luhut Panjaitan, who is also Jokowi's campaign team advisor, were also also summoned to the Palace on Thursday morning.

Susi denied the that meeting concerned her prospects as a ministerial candidate, saying discussions centered on aviation, fishery and other issues.

Meanwhile, Luhut said that the former Jakarta governor had not delayed the Cabinet announcement, as there had never been a plan to announce it on Wednesday evening at Tanjung Priok port, as was widely reported.  (Ina Parlina)