Jokowi’s ‘silent operation’ sparks speculation

JAKARTA. The decision by president-elect Joko “Jokowi” Widodo to remain secretive about the selection of his Cabinet members has fueled speculation over potential political interference from political elites.

To the surprise of many, Jokowi recently admitted the selection had reached the final phase, but only a few names for the positions have been leaked to the public and it remains unclear whether Jokowi will be able to announce the Cabinet lineup soon after his inauguration on Oct. 20.

“Every ministerial post has been [matched] with candidates. Each post has four to five [candidates],” he said.

Vice president-elect Jusuf Kalla argued that the reason for keeping the names of the candidates confidential was to prevent those who eventually failed to win the jobs from being embarrassed.

“Can you imagine how embarrassed a candidate could be if he or she finally failed to become a minister?” said Kalla.

It may be due to such pressures that Jokowi carried out the recruitment in various unconventional ways and in unfixed meeting locations.

Jokowi said the candidates that he interviewed might not have realized that they were actually being short-listed.

“Sometimes the interviews were done during light talks while having lunch at food stalls. The candidates that I talked to might not have realized that they were being assessed,” he said.

Last week, Jokowi held a closed-door meeting with several business professionals at the Tugu Kunstkring Paleis restaurant in Central Jakarta.

The meeting was supposed to be held in secret, with members of the Presidential Security Detail (Paspampres) ordering journalists to leave.

Among those seen at the restaurant were Social Security Management Agency (BPJS) president and former Indonesian Doctors Association (IDI) chairman Fahmi Idris as well as state-run Bank Mandiri president director Budi Gunadi Sadikin.

PT Indosat CEO and Association of Indonesian Cellular Operators (ATSI) chairman Alexander Rusli was also seen at the venue.

Other candidates mentioned by numerous politicians include Deputy Industry Minister Alex Retraubun, Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) chairman Mahendra Siregar, state-run railway operator PT KAI’s president director, Ignasius Jonan, and Deputy Finance Minister Bambang Brodjonegoro.

Several politicians from the Jokowi camp have hinted at the pressure Jokowi has faced in recent weeks from many parties to have their candidates approved.

Amid the speculation is that regarding pressure from Jokowi’s patron, Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri.

Jokowi has refuted such an assumption. “I have repeatedly said that the selection of ministers is my prerogative,” he said.

PDI-P deputy secretary-general Hasto Kristiyanto, however, admitted that Megawati would have the final say on ministerial candidates proposed by the party.

“[The decision about] that power [being] given to Megawati was made during our last congress,” he said.

Echoing Jokowi, Hasto gave his assurances that Megawati would not abuse her power, though she was fully aware of Jokowi’s respect and admiration for her.

Between five to seven ministerial posts are expected to be given to the PDI-P, which may nominate party secretary-general Tjahjo Kumolo, former House of Representatives deputy speaker Pramono Anung, actress-turned-lawmaker Rieke Diah Pitaloka, former lawmaker Eva Kusuma Sundari, as well as PDI-P deputy secretary-general and a deputy of the Jokowi-Kalla transition team, Hasto Kristiyanto.

Jokowi’s coalition member, the National Awakening Party (PKB), may receive up to four ministerial posts.

Candidates proposed by the party include chairman and former manpower and transmigration minister Muhaimin Iskandar, lawmaker Marwan Ja’far, former secretary-general Imam Nahrawi and deputy chairman Rusdi Kirana, who is also the owner of the nation’s largest domestic airline, Lion Air.

Muhaimin, who was said to be eyeing the position of coordinating people’s welfare minister, meanwhile, may fail to pass a screening by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) and the Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (PPATK).

Senior Golkar Party member Gen. (ret) Luhut Binsar Panjaitan, who rebelled against his party’s decision to nominate Prabowo Subianto as a presidential candidate, is also a top contender coordinating political, legal and security affairs minister.

For the position of National Intelligence Agency (BIN) chairman, meanwhile, two figures were said to be strong candidates: former Strategic Intelligence Agency (BAIS) chief Rear Marshall (ret) Ian Santoso, who is close to Megawati, and former BIN deputy head As’ad Said Ali, who is also a senior member of the country’s largest Islamic organization, Nahdlatul Ulama.

Several sources said that Kalla had also handed the names of some ministerial candidates to Jokowi. Among them were former state-owned enterprises minister Sofyan Djalil, former law and human rights minister Hamid Awaluddin, state lender Bank Rakyat Indonesia’s (BRI) president director Sofyan Basir, former PT Toyota Astra Motor president director Johnny Darmawan and tycoon Rachmat Gobel.

Politicians from the Red-and-White Coalition that endorsed Prabowo have criticized the Cabinet selection process.

“The ongoing political constellation has forced Jokowi to implement such a process,” Golkar deputy secretary-general Tantowi Yahya said.

“Politics basically involves deals, which can only be achieved through compromising. That is why a non-transactional coalition is barely possible,” he said. (Bagus BT Saragih, Margareth S. Aritonang)