REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has given a green light to two of ministers in his cabinet to run as legislative candidates. However, he also has forbid several ministers to contest in the election.

According to Cabinet Secretary Pramono Anung, he himself and Home Affairs Minister Tjahjo Kumolo are among the list of ministers prohibited from running in legislative election. He explained their duty could not be left abandoned.

“Our daily tasks are not possible to be abandoned because we are attached to the President," Pramono said on Tuesday (July 17).

Beside him and Tjahjo, Finance Minister Sri Mulyani, Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi, and Defense Minister Wiranto also shared the same fate. Pramono said one of the reasons Home Affairs Minister is prohibited to be legislative candidate is because he was responsible for elections and also the partner of General Election Commission (KPU) and Election Supervisory Board (Bawaslu).

“So if Home Affairs Minister becomes legislative candidate, it could create conflict of interest,” Pramono added.

Meanwhile, Law and Human Rights Minister Yasona H Laoly and Coordinating Human Development and Culture Minister, Puan Maharani got permission from Jokowi to run as legislative candidates. They are proposed by Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P).

Earlier, PDI-P secretary general Hasto Kristiyanto said the party had been willing to propose seven ministers' names to be legislative candidates. However, after consultation with Jokowi, only two minister were allowed. President Jokowi also has allowed PDI-P to recruit his spokesman Johan Budi to run in legislative election.

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