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🇮🇩 Indonesia /Elections & Politics

Indonesia's Civil Society Forms Shadow Cabinet to Counter Prabowo Government

From Tempo · () Indonesian

Translated from Indonesian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources New plan
  • A civil society coalition in Indonesia has formed a Shadow Cabinet to monitor the government and develop alternative policies.
  • Composed of 15 ministers selected for their expertise, the cabinet operates independently and is self-funded by its members.
  • The Shadow Cabinet aims to provide evidence-based policy suggestions and hold the current government accountable, particularly regarding the use of taxpayer money.

Indonesia's civil society has established a "Shadow Cabinet" to serve as a watchdog for President Prabowo Subianto's administration. This alternative cabinet, comprised of activists, academics, and experts, intends to develop policy alternatives and scrutinize the government's performance.

The Shadow Cabinet is a platform for monitoring and developing evidence-based alternative policies, working pro bono, and being nonpartisan.

— Feri AmsariChair of the Shadow Cabinet Selection Committee, explaining the cabinet's purpose.

According to Feri Amsari, Chair of the Shadow Cabinet Selection Committee, the formation stems from a perceived weakening of checks and balances. He stressed that the cabinet is nonpartisan and operates on a pro bono basis, focusing on monitoring and proposing evidence-based policies rather than seeking to usurp governmental power. The 15 ministers were chosen for their expertise, mirroring the concept of a "zaken cabinet."

This framework is the sole reference when shadow ministers and the secretariat respond to any issue, enabling the public to recognize the shadow cabinet's stance, even when articulated by different ministers.

— Feri AmsariExplaining the guiding principle for the Shadow Cabinet's responses.

Each minister in the Shadow Cabinet is tasked with directly countering their counterparts in the official "Red and White Cabinet." This involves reviewing government policies and offering alternative suggestions grounded in specific fields of knowledge. All responses are guided by a framework prioritizing the public's interests, ensuring a consistent stance across different ministers.

The current operational funding comes from internal contributions, without foreign or corporate funds.

— Feri AmsariStating the source of the Shadow Cabinet's operational funding.

The Shadow Cabinet is entirely self-funded through internal contributions from its members, with plans to launch public crowdfunding campaigns in the future. It explicitly rejects funds from foreign entities or corporations. Minister of Finance and Budget Governance, Bhima Yudhistira Adhinegara, has already voiced criticism regarding the management of state budgets, citing populist programs lacking sufficient research and pilot projects.

Starting from populist programs without research and pilot projects such as Free Nutritious Meals and Red and White Village Cooperatives.

— Bhima Yudhistira AdhinegaraMinister of Finance and Budget Governance of the Shadow Cabinet, criticizing government spending.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Tempo in Indonesian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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