Vice President Ma'ruf Urges Political Party Chairmans Not To Ignore His Duties As Minister In Cabinet

Vice President Ma'ruf Amin accompanied by Bengkulu Governor Rohidin Mersyah (left) and Acting Regent of Central Bengkulu Heryandi Roni (right)/ANTARA

JAMBI - Vice President Ma'ruf Amin appealed to the general chairmen of political parties who serve as ministers in the Advanced Indonesia Cabinet not to ignore their respective duties. "Of course what we hope for because he (the party chairmen) is an official, it is better not to let his duties be neglected, not to ignore his duties," said Vice President Ma'ruf Amin in Bengkulu, Antara, Thursday, May 4. It is known that there are three party chairmen who serve as ministers in the current President Jokowi Cabinet and Vice President Ma'ruf Amin. "Yes, indeed, if an official who happens to be the leader of a political party because it is now a political year, he will definitely be busy, then he will be involved in political problems in dealing with elections, presidential elections, and legislative elections," said the Vice President. Currently, the period for registering the names of candidates for members of the DPR, Provincial DPRD, Regency/City DPRD, while the registration of new presidential and vice presidential candidates will begin on October 19, 2023. "You have to be able to position yourself. I think that's my appeal because his job is double, because it is the head of a political party," said the Vice President. The three leaders of political parties in the current cabinet are the first Chairman of PAN Zulkifli Hasan or Zulhas officially appointed by President Jokowi as Minister of Trade replacing M Lutfi. Zulhas has since 2015 served as Chairman of PAN. Second, the General Chair of the Golkar Party, Airlangga Hartarto. In the first term of President Jokowi's leadership, Airlangga served as Minister of Industry replacing Saleh Husin in a cabinet reshuffle in July 2016. He was then appointed as Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs in the 2019-2024 government period. Third, Gerindra Chairman Prabowo Subianto who during the 2014 and 2019 presidential elections was President Jokowi's rival. Prabowo was appointed as Minister of Defense in the Advanced Indonesia Cabinet for the 2019-2024 term of office. Meanwhile, the Acting Chairperson of the United Development Party (Plt Ketum PPP) Muhammad Mardiono was appointed by President Jokowi as the Presidential Special Envoy for Poverty and Food Security Cooperation. Mardiono was previously a member of the Presidential Advisory Council (Wantimpres). On May 2, 2023, President Joko Widodo held a halal bihalal with general chairmen of government-supporting political parties at the Merdeka Palace. Present at the meeting were PDI-P General Chair Megawati Soekarnoputri, Golkar Chairman Airlangga Hartarto, PKB General Chair Muhaimin Iskandar, PAN Chairman Zulkifli Hasan, Gerindra Party Chair Prabowo Subianto, and Plt General Chairperson of PPP Mardiyono. The political situation ahead of the 2024 General Election is getting warmer after the PDI-P declared the Governor of Central Java Ganjar Pranowo as a candidate for president. PPP then followed up to decide to carry Ganjar. Ganjar Pranowo is a political figure who has high electability from various surveys. Apart from Ganjar, former DKI Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan has been declared a candidate for president by the Change Coalition consisting of the Democratic Party, PKS, and the NasDem Party. Other figures that have a high electability level are Gerindra Chairman Prabowo Subianto whose party formed a coalition with PKB in the Greater Indonesia Awakening Coalition. Meanwhile, Golkar, PAN, and PPP formed the United Indonesia Coalition.