REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Former chairman of Golkar party, M Jusuf Kalla has expressed his happiness over the additional seats for Golkar in the working cabinet, following the inauguration of Idrus Marham as the new social affairs minister.
"This is good for Golkar," Kalla who is now serve as vice president, stated after attending the swearing-in ceremony of new top officials at the State Palace, here, on Wednesday.
Two senior politicians of Golkar, namely Airlangga Hartarto and Marham, have been included in the working cabinet of the Joko Widodo (Jokowi) administration.
Hartarto, the current general chairman of Golkar, is the industry minister.
Jokowi has hinted that he will retain Hartarto in his cabinet.
Hartarto was already a minister when he was appointed as general chairman of Golkar on Dec 14, 2017, to replace Setya Novanto, he remarked earlier.
"We already know that Hatarto is a minister. Only one year is left. If a new person is appointed, he would need six months to learn, and if (he) is not a fast learner, it would take another year," the head of state explained.
The president noted that Hartarto had complete understanding of the industry sector and had mastered it.
On Wednesday morning, the president swore in Marham, the secretary general of Golkar Party, as the social affairs minister to replace Khofifah Indar Parawansa, who had resigned to contest for the post of East Java governor in the upcoming regional head elections.
Jokowi is eying a second term in office by winning the Presidential Election in 2019.
Bambang Soesatyo, a senior politician of Golkar, is now the speaker of the House of Representatives.
Political observer Yusa Djuyandi opined that Jokowi has appointed more Golkar politicians as his ministers to ensure that the House of Representatives (DPR) remains conducive to support his government's policies.
"Additional seats for the Golkar in the cabinet will significantly facilitate the government's policies, as Jokowi certainly wants the DPR to remain conducive by supporting the executives' policies," he noted here on Wednesday.
Ikuti Whatsapp Channel Republika
