Cabinet Secretary Says MenPAN-RB Candidate Names Are Almost Condensed, Jokowi Will Discuss With Megawati

Cabinet Secretary Pramono Anung gives a statement to reporters at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta, Monday (8/8/2022). (ANTARA/Gilang Galiartha)

JAKARTA - Cabinet Secretary, Pramono Anung, stated that the name of the candidate for Minister of State Apparatus Empowerment and Bureaucratic Reform (MenPAN-RB) was almost narrowed to fill the post left by the late Tjahjo Kumolo.

The name will later be discussed between President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) and the General Chair of the PDI-P Megawati Soekarnoputri, although Pramono could not confirm when the meeting between the two parties would take place.

"Yes, the name is actually almost condensed. It will be discussed later between Mr. President and Mrs. Mega", Pramono told reporters at the Presidential Palace, Jakarta, as reported by ANTARA, Monday, August 8.

The Cabinet Secretary reminded that the replacement of the late Tjahjo was a joint decision between the President and the owner of the prerogative by heeding input from the PDI-P, considering that the party cadres were replacing them.

"Because those who were replaced happened to be PDI-P cadres, and that was also the allocation for the PDI-P", he said.

"Well, yesterday Mrs. Mega also just returned from abroad, coincidentally there was a graduation for Mrs. Puan's sons and daughters (Maharani, Megawati's daughter, ed). It's just a matter of time, shortly this will be discussed, but the names are already available", said Pramono adds.

The Cabinet Secretary also said that communication between President Jokowi and Megawati was a normal thing that happened before changes in the cabinet.

"Yes, as usual, manners in the cabinet are like that. So before the President decides, the President gets input from the general chairmen of the party, and this is usually done if there is a cabinet reshuffle", he said.

MenPAN-RB Tjahjo Kumolo passed away on Friday, July 1, 2022, after undergoing intensive treatment at Abdi Waluyo Hospital, Menteng, Jakarta, in mid-June.

Since Tjahjo's death, President Jokowi has appointed the Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs Mahfud MD as the ad interim MenPAN-RB followed by the Minister of Home Affairs Tito Karnavian holding a similar position for a term of July 4-15 2022.

Then on July 15, President Jokowi appointed Mahfud as Acting State Apparatus Empowerment and Bureaucratic Reform (MenPAN-RB).