President-elect Prabowo Subianto is poised to transform Indonesia’s government as parliament scraps limits on cabinet size, a move that experts believe will assist in consolidating power and rewarding allies while potentially leading to bureaucratic expansion.
Lawmakers, largely in favor of outgoing President Joko Widodo and Prabowo, recently amended the law to remove the previous cap of 34 ministries in the cabinet.
With these changes in place, Prabowo will have the freedom to restructure or create new ministries when he assumes office in October, pending Widodo’s signature. Reports suggest that Prabowo might expand the cabinet to 44 ministerial positions.
Minister of Administrative and Bureaucratic Reform Abdullah Azwar Anas defended the law as a means to establish a more efficient system, granting the president flexibility to form ministries aligned with national interests.
However, critics believe this move could allow Prabowo to create positions to reward loyalists and allies within his coalition.