SBY Meets Jokowi In The Middle Of The Reshuffle Issue, PPP Has No Problem Democrats Joining The Cabinet

Chairman of the DPP Achmad Baidowi (Awiek) (ANTARA)

JAKARTA - The United Development Party (PPP) considers positively the meeting of the Chairman of the High Council of the Democratic Party Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY) with President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) at the Bogor Palace. PPP does not even have a problem if the Democratic Party joins the cabinet of the Jokowi-Ma'ruf Amin government in the midst of a cabinet reshuffle issue. "It was a good meeting between the two presidents, between two different political parties, between two different generations. If it then raises the issue of reshuffle, it is a public assumption," said DPP Chairman Achmad Baidowi (Awiek) to reporters, Tuesday, October 3. According to Awiek, a small cabinet reshuffle is likely to be carried out by the president towards the end of the year, even at the end of his period. However, he said, reshuffle is Jokowi's prerogative.

"I don't think he can force him. And he can measure the need to reshuffle his cabinet, but this cabinet only has more than one year left, how come it feels unlikely that there will be a resuftle," said Awiek. However, the member of Commission VI of the DPR assessed that a reshuffle might be carried out if there is a minister in trouble. Moreover, at this time it is reported that a minister has stumbled upon a legal case.

"If there is a problem, if there is no problem, of course, usually by the end of the year there is no reshuffle. We see the history, the reshuffle at the end of that year when the minister has problems, starting from Pak SBY's era, Mr. Jokowi is like that. When the minister has problems, the three months is reshuffled, if there is no problem, it's just gentle," explained Awiek.

PPP is also not a problem if the meeting between SBY and Jokowi is a signal that the Democratic Party will join the Jokowi-Maruf government. PPP welcomes if Democrats are willing and Jokowi needs to enter the advanced Indonesia cabinet.

"We don't have a problem. Pak Prabowo, Pak Sandi entered our cabinet, there was no problem, that's a person who contested, let alone only supported, carried. Yes, even if the Democrats want to go ahead, and Mr. Jokowi needs it," he concluded.