Answering Cabinet Issues Prabowo Contains 44 Ministers, Zulhas: Added Yes, Maybe Around

JAKARTA - The Minister of Trade (Mendag) as well as the General Chairperson (Katum) of PAN Zulkifli Hasan alias Zulhas said the number of cabinet ministers of the elected Presidential government Prabowo Subianto would increase.

When asked about the issue of the number of ministers in Prabowo's cabinet to 44, Zulhas admitted that he did not know for sure.

"Addition yes. Maybe around that (to become 44 ministers)," said Zulhas at the Parliament Complex, Jakarta, Wednesday, September 11, which was confiscated by Antara.

According to him, filling in names for ministerial positions is the prerogative of the President later. He also left it entirely to Prabowo regarding the number of ministerial positions that will be given to PAN.

"We know that is the right of the President," he said.

As is known, the DPR is currently finalizing the Draft Law on Amendments to Law Number 39 of 2008 concerning the Ministry of State or the State Ministry Bill.

The Legislation Body of the DPR RI has approved that the State Ministry Bill be brought to a plenary meeting which will then be ratified as law.

In the bill, the content changes in the article have been decided in the working committee meeting (panja).

The changes in the bill include insertion of the article, namely Article 6A concerning the formation of its own ministry, then also inserted Article 9A regarding the president who can change organizational elements according to the needs of government administration.

Furthermore, one of the important points in the bill is the amendment to Article 15. With the amendment of the article, the president can now determine the number of ministries in accordance with the needs of state administration, it is not limited to only 34 ministries such as the provisions in the law that have not been changed.