'With the full support of our coalition party leaders, we have chosen to call this the Red and White Cabinet,' says Prabowo Subianto
Newly-elected Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto swore in on Monday 109 officials as part of his administration for the next five years.
After taking oath office on Sunday, Prabowo at the State Palace in the capital Jakarta named his “Red and White" Cabinet -- Merah Putih -- inspired by the colors of the national flag.
The new Cabinet lineup draws members from professional as well as political backgrounds and also includes names from former Joko Widodo administration.
It has seven coordinating ministers, 41 ministers, the attorney general, the head of the State Intelligence Agency, the Cabinet secretary, the presidential chief of staff and the head of the Presidential Communication Bureau.
“With the full support of our coalition party leaders, we have chosen to call this the Red and White Cabinet,” Prabowo told a ceremony at the place Sunday night, highlighting the unity and national spirit behind the selections.
The officials include Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin as defense minister, and Tito Karnavian remains the home affairs minister.
Sugiono, who goes by only one name, will serve as foreign minister, with Sri Mulyani continuing as finance minister.
A well-respected economist, Mulyani is the first woman finance chief of the Southeast Asian powerhouse. She earlier served as managing director of the World Bank.
A graduate of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in the US, Mulyani has no political affiliation but will face a tough challenge to increase revenue generation to fund Prabowo's ambitious free meals for children program.
Sugiono, 45, retired from the military in 2004 but continued as secretary of Prabowo and joined his Gerindra party.
Earlier as a lawmaker, he was a member of a parliamentary committee overseeing foreign affairs, defense and security.
A friend of Prabowo for decades, Sjafrie, 71, is a retired lieutenant general who has been barred from entering the US over allegations of human rights abuses.
Other notable appointments include Natalius Pigai as human rights affairs minister, Supratman Andi Agtas as justice minister and Budi Gunadi Sadikin as health minister.
