Widodo reshuffles cabinet weeks before leaving office

JAKARTA — Indonesian President Joko Widodo reshuffled his cabinet on Monday just weeks before he steps down in an effort to ease the transition to his successor, Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto, his office said.

Widodo will hand over the reins in October, departing with sky-high approval ratings over an economic track record that delivered consistent growth coming out of the pandemic.

Widodo swore in new ministers for law and human rights, energy and mineral resources, and investment on Monday morning, as well as the new head of the food and drug agency and chief of the newly created National Nutrition Agency.

Former investment minister Bahlil Lahadalia, a close aide and vocal supporter of Widodo, was appointed energy and mineral resources minister as the Indonesian leader focuses on a drive to boost nickel output.

Bahlil said he would prioritize working on incentives to promote efforts to reactivate idle energy wells and reverse the decline in Indonesia's crude oil output.

Rosan Roeslani, who was head of Prabowo's presidential campaign, replaced Bahlil as the country's new investment minister, while Supratman Andi Agtas, a member of Prabowo's Gerindra party, became minister of law and human rights.

Widodo also named Dadan Hindayana, a professor at Bogor Agricultural University, to head the National Nutrition Agency and oversee Prabowo's key campaign program — a multibillion-dollar pledge to give schoolchildren free meals.

Dadan, a member of Prabowo's campaign team, was quoted telling local media the meals program would start on Jan 2.

Smooth transition

The changes "are necessary to facilitate a smooth, orderly and effective government transition", said Ari Dwipayana, a presidential palace official, in a statement.

Widodo, raised in a bamboo shack in a riverside slum on Indonesia's biggest island of Java, hailed last week his government's record on the economy, development and infrastructure building in his final State of the Nation address.

The Indonesian leader has served the maximum two terms for a decade in power after beating Prabowo twice, in 2014 and 2019 elections.

Prabowo, 72, has been seeking to boost his profile overseas, with trips to Russia, Qatar, Japan and China since his victory in February. On Monday, he was in Australia.

Prabowo won with Widodo's eldest son, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, running as his vice-presidential candidate.

The defense chief soared in polls with the support of Widodo, as well as pledging to carry on popular economic policies.

Agencies - Xinhua