Jakarta: Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto on Wednesday appointed a former rival as the new security minister following deadly protests that have been viewed as one of the toughest tests for his presidency.
Subianto, a wealthy ex-general, designated retired Gen Djamari Chaniago, 77, as the coordinating minister of politics and security to replace Budi Gunawan, who was removed from Subianto’s Cabinet earlier this month without a successor, ending days of speculation about a replacement.
Gunawan was removed after violent protests swept across Indonesia and left 10 people dead in late August.
Public outrage flared in the world’s third-largest democracy after reports that all 580 members of the House of Representatives received a monthly housing allowance of 50 million rupiah (USD 3,075) in addition to their salaries. The allowance was nearly 10 times the minimum wage in Jakarta.
The protests spread and became more violent following the death of ride-hailing driver Affan Kurniawan, who was hit by a police vehicle.
Five ministers lost their jobs, including Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati, a technocrat who had served as the executive director of the International Monetary Fund and managing director of the World Bank.
Subianto didn’t explain the reason for removing the five ministers, but analysts and local media speculated that Gunawan’s dismissal was attributed to his failure to promptly coordinate with other officials, including military and police, when the unrest broke out. He also was absent from meetings. The issue of his declining health also played a part.