Jakarta – Vice president-elect Gibran Rakabuming Raka has hinted that professionals will make up the majority of cabinet ministers under the administration of president-elect Prabowo Subianto, who will be inaugurated on Oct. 20.
Gibran, the eldest son of outgoing President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo also added that Prabowo had the full prerogative to pick candidates for ministerial positions in the upcoming administration.
"There will be a lot of professionals. But please wait because any decision regarding cabinet ministers will be in the hands of Pak Prabowo as the president-elect," Gibran told reporters in Surakarta on Monday.
President-elect Prabowo is currently engaged in negotiations with major political parties in his coalition over which cabinet positions will be available to them.
Prabowo has also been in close communication with President Jokowi, who has privately asked the president-elect to allow some ministers in the current administration to remain in their positions.
Prabowo is looking into adding new portfolios to accommodate demands from leaders of political parties who are eager to get more seats in the cabinet.
On Tuesday, however, Jokowi brushed off speculation that he had given input to Prabowo with regard to the vetting of individuals considered for cabinet positions.
"There's no such thing. If you want to ask about the cabinet please ask the president-elect," Jokowi told reporters during a visit to Depok, West Java, on Tuesday morning.