Faisal Basri, an economist at the Institute for Development of Economics and Finance (INDEF), says situation in the Cabinet of President Joko Widodo is not conducive with several ministers are rumored to be ready to resign from the cabinet. They include Minister of Finance Sri Mulyani Indrawati and Minister of Public Works and Housing (PUPR) Basuki Hadimuljono.
“I heard that Ibu Sri Mulyani is the most ready to resign,” Faisal said at the Political Economic Outlook event, as quoted by CNBC Indonesia on Wednesday, January 17, 2024.
Faisal added that the ministers were waiting for the right momentum to resign. According to him, the ministers would follow the suit of a number of cabinet ministers who tendered their resignation at the last year of President Soeharto’s administration in 1998.
“Hopefully this momentum will soon, God willing, become a powerful trigger, just like Pak Ginandjar (Coordinating Minister for Economy, Finance and Industry Ginandjar Kartasasmita) and 12 other ministers resigned in the era of Pak Harto,” said Faisal.
He called on the public to persuade the ministers who are ready to resign to immediately execute their plans.
“Should Ibu Sri Mulyani, Pak Basuki, and several more ministers resign, that will have a powerful effect,” said Faisal.
Special staff to the Minister of Finance, Yustinus Prastowo, however has repeatedly dismissed the rumors that Minister Sri Mulyani will quit her cabinet post.
“All of the allegations, incuding rumors that Ibu Sri Mulyani will resign, are not true. They only part of the efforts of a certain party to create npise in the political year,” Yustinus said in a statement published on his social media account.
Shaky government
Similarly, political analyst Ray Rangkuti predicted that several ministers will resign after the presidential election on February 14, 2024. He cited that the first group of ministers who will likely resign are those from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), the second group are ministers from Nasdem Party and the third group are independent ministers such as Finance Minister Sri Mulyani and Public Works and Housing Minister Basuki Hadimulyono.
“They have been uncomfortable to work with Pak Jokowi after he is proven not neutral ahead of the election and the issue of political dynasties, ” Ray spoke to Indonesia Business Post on Thursday, January 18, 2024.
He said ministers with political party background will resign in line with their respective political party’s stance as an opposition to the administration of President Jokowi.
” For the political parties, it is clear that if their candidates do not win the election, they want to be totally opposant to the government. However, they will only resign after the election, otherwise their parties will look bad in front of the public. They will want not do it,” he explained.
Ray also cited that besides potential resignation of the ministers, the Jokowi administration will also likely have to cope with massive street protests. “Thousands of students will take to the streets to stage protest against practices of political dynasty. The government will be shaky,” he said.
