Politics

Similar to what’s happening in Jakarta, there is also a tight race between former Military Commander (Panglima TNI) General (ret) Andika Perkasa, endorsed by PDIP, and former Chief of Central Java Comr. Gen. (ret) Ahmad Luthfi, endorsed by Prabowo Subianto’s ruling coalition, in this year’s Central Java gubernatorial election. Some pollsters found Andika at the top of the polls, while others found Luthfi leading the race instead.

Several pollsters have released the results of their respective electability survey on this year’s gubernatorial election in Jakarta. Some of them found Pramono Anung-Rano Karno, endorsed by PDIP, at the top of the polls, while others found Ridwan Kamil-Suswono, endorsed by Prabowo Subianto’s ruling coalition, leading the race instead.

On top of the National Food Agency (Bapanas), president Prabowo Subianto established a new agency called Badan Gizi Nasional or the National Nutritional Agency (BGN). Lodewyk Pusung, a retired three-star army general and a Gerindra politician, has been appointed as the deputy chief of the agency. Lodewyk is assisting Dadan Hindayana, who has earlier been made the chief of the National Nutrition Agency.

Budiman Sudjatmiko, former PDIP politician, has been appointed by President Prabowo Subianto as the chief of a new agency called Badan Percepatan Pengentasan Kemiskinan (Poverty Eradication Agency). The President also appointed Nanik Sudaryati Deyang and Iwan Sumule as Budiman’s deputies. All of these three figures are former activists.

General (ret) Dudung Abdurachman, former Army Chief of Staff (KSAD), has been appointed by President Prabowo Subianto as the special advisor for defense. Dudung, moreover, has also been appointed as the new chief of the Defence Industry Committee (KKIP).

President Prabowo Subianto has established the so-called Badan Penyelenggara Haji (BPH) or the Hajj Management Body, a new agency separated from the Ministry  of Religious Affairs that will manage the hajj and umrah. The President appointed his two trusted guys, Mochamad Irfan Yusuf a.k.a Gus Irfan (NU) and Dahnil Anzar Simanjuntak (Muhammadiyah) as the chief and the deputy chief of the Hajj Management Body.

It was initially thought easy races for candidates endorsed by KIM Plus, a coalition of political parties supporting Prabowo-Gibran administration, which should include former president Jokowi (whose son Gibran is now vice president). Their candidates were expected to win most regional elections, including areas like Jakarta, Central Java, and Bali—-two of the last being stronghold of PDIP (the only party outside the KIM Plus).

Muhaimin Iskandar, the chairman of PKB is now the Coordinating Minister for Empowerment of the Society. He was a running mate of Anies Baswedan and Prabowo Subianto’s rival in the 2024 presidential election but soon after losing the race, Muhaimin quickly jump ship into Prabowo’s cabinet and he’s given a coordinating minister position.

President Prabowo Subianto has appointed Yuliot Tanjung as Vice Minister of Energy & Mineral Resources (ESDM) to assist the ESDM Minister Bahlil Lahadalia, who is the chairman of Golkar Party. This is the second time for Yuliot assisting Bahlil. Previously, in the administration of Jokowi, Prabowo’s predecessor, Yuliot was Vice Minister of Investment and the Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM), at the time led by Bahlil.