Jakarta. Political analyst Arifki Chaniago recently said that the possibility for President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo to hold a cabinet reshuffle remained large despite his term about to come to an end.

Jokowi will have to hand over the top government seat to his successor Prabowo Subianto this October. But just because the end of the presidency is close approaching, this does not mean that Jokowi's ministers are safe from a cabinet reshuffle. According to Arifki, ministers who are not exactly on the same page as Jokowi are at risk of getting replaced. 

“Jokowi will likely reshuffle the ministers who do not support his commitments as president. Well of course, this will make it harder for him [Jokowi] to leave a legacy in the next five months,” Arifki, who is also the executive director of the think-tank Aljabar Strategic Indonesia, said.

Those who focus on other things besides their ministerial tasks and the country’s nationally strategic programs are also subject to the cabinet shake-up. Alrifki added: “What’s of utmost importance is that Jokowi will have to make sure that these programs get carried on by the Prabowo-Gibran government.”

Jokowi’s recent meeting with party leaders has sparked rumors of another cabinet shake-up. Jokowi denied having talked about changing the cabinet structure, although the president admitted that he had met with the party leaders late last month. However, Communications Minister Budi Arie Setiadi said that a cabinet reshuffle was still possible, although it would be Jokowi who makes the decision.

“Anything is possible. I’m not saying ‘no’ [cabinet reshuffle], but it is up to the president,” Budi Arie said last week.

The last cabinet shake-up installed Hadi Tjahjanto as the chief security affairs minister earlier this year. Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono (AHY) took over Hadi’s former post as the agrarian affairs minister.

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