Jakarta. Foreign Affairs Minister Sugiono said Tuesday that he would keep his dual role of being the chief diplomat and the secretary-general of the Great Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra).

President Prabowo Subianto -- also the chairman of Gerindra -- recently picked Sugiono as his party’s secretary-general, officially ending senior politician Ahmad Muzani’s 17-year tenure in the post. The appointment sparked questions on whether Sugiono should resign from his ministerial seat.

Sugiono hosted Belarusian Foreign Minister Maxim Ryzhenkov in Jakarta for diplomatic talks on Tuesday morning. Ryzhenkov, too, was aware of Gerindra’s leadership change, even congratulating Sugiono for his freshly earned status. Shortly after Ryzhenkov left the premises, reporters asked Sugiono if he planned on keeping the double role.

“Just like what you have seen today, I’m still doing my job as the foreign minister,” Sugiono said. 

“Assuming [Gerindra’s] secretary-general role is a huge responsibility. They have had the same management for about 17 or 18 years already,” Sugiono said, referring to how Muzani had kept the seat since the party’s founding in 2008.

Sugiono said that he would aim for better management in the future.

The 46-year-old has been in Prabowo’s circle for decades. He has a military background as a first lieutenant, but retired early in 2004. Sugiono remained as Prabowo’s secretary since then, and eventually became a Gerindra cadre.

Prabowo also picked Sugiono to join his so-called “Jedi Knights” club. This was a group of young politicians who aimed to help Prabowo’s presidential bid in 2014. Its name took inspiration from the guardians in the popular sci-fi franchise "Star Wars".

Gerindra has defended the dual role. Its senior official, Prasetyo Hadi, had said that the party’s affairs would not distract Sugiono from doing his ministerial job. Prasetyo is in Prabowo’s “Red and White” cabinet as his state secretary.

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