Democrats Leave Cabinet Reshuffle Matters to Prabowo
The General Secretary of the Democrat Party, Herman Khaeron, has entrusted the matter of reshuffling or reorganising the Merah Putih Cabinet to President Prabowo Subianto. According to Herman, Prabowo will ultimately decide whether there will be any changes to his ministerial lineup.
“After all, it is entirely the President’s authority and prerogative. So whether Mr President carries out a reshuffle or not, that is his affair,” Herman stated at the House of Representatives complex in Jakarta on Thursday, 16 April 2026.
Herman believes this approach will enable Prabowo to focus on his role as head of state. In the future, he hopes the outcomes of Prabowo’s leadership will be felt by all Indonesians.
“We leave it to him so that he can work comfortably and manage to overcome various challenges in this development. And ultimately, in the future, Mr President can successfully lead this nation,” Herman added.
Previously, Cabinet Secretary Lieutenant Colonel Teddy Indra Wijaya neither confirmed nor denied queries about any plans for a reshuffle in the near term. He only asked the public to await official news on the reconfiguration of the President’s aides.
Teddy was again asked whether the cabinet reshuffle would take place in April 2026, but he declined to answer directly. He merely stated that President Prabowo would explain. “Later, the President will tell the story,” he said.
Rumours of a reshuffle have circulated several times since the beginning of this year. At the end of January 2026, the gossip gained traction after Prabowo’s nephew, Thomas Djiwandono, was appointed as Deputy Governor of Bank Indonesia. Thomas’s appointment automatically left vacant the position of Deputy Minister of Finance, which he had previously held.
The news proved true when President Prabowo inaugurated former Deputy Governor of Bank Indonesia, Juda Agung, to fill that role. Thomas and Juda swapped positions.
Subsequently, news of a cabinet reconfiguration also spread when another nephew of Prabowo, Budisatrio Djiwandono, was said to be set to join the cabinet, according to House Commission I Chairman Utut Adianto. Utut made the statement during a working meeting with the Ministry of Defence and the Indonesian National Armed Forces on Monday, 26 January.
Ahead of Ramadan 1447 Hijriah, or in February, State Secretary Minister Prasetyo Hadi stated there were no plans for a cabinet reshuffle. According to Prasetyo, he had repeatedly denied the reshuffle rumours. “There is no reshuffle,” said the Gerindra Party politician at Gambir Station in Central Jakarta on Tuesday, 10 February 2026.
Prasetyo noted at the time that the government was focused on ensuring activities throughout Ramadan and Eid ran smoothly. He also mentioned that the government was endeavouring to ease the economic burden on the public during Ramadan and Eid, particularly for the poor and extremely poor.