Indonesian Civil Society Forms Shadow Cabinet to Oppose Prabowo Government

A coalition of Indonesian civil society groups has established a "Shadow Cabinet" to serve as a check on President Prabowo Subianto's administration. The group, comprising activists and academics, aims to fill the void left by the absence of a strong formal opposition, as most political parties have aligned with the new government.

Feri Amsari, chair of the selection committee, stated that the cabinet is not seeking to seize power but rather to function as a platform for oversight and the development of evidence-based policy alternatives. "The Shadow Cabinet is a platform for oversight and the development of evidence-based policy alternatives, working pro-bono, and is non-partisan," Amsari said in a written statement on Friday, July 17, 2026.

The urgency for this alternative body arises because nearly all political parties now support the government, leaving no robust formal opposition to counterbalance Prabowo's policies. Amsari explained that the shadow cabinet comprises experts in their respective fields, not political party representatives. Fifteen individuals were chosen from 121 applicants and 102 recommendations from civil society networks to fill ministerial roles.

Key appointments include Feri Amsari as Minister of State Secretary, Armand Suparman as Minister of Home Affairs and National Security, and Shofwan Al-Banna Choiruzzad as Minister of Foreign Affairs. The cabinet plans to engage in public hearings to gather public aspirations, which will then be refined through research and presented for public testing alongside the official cabinet's proposals. The coalition emphasizes its independence from any political power and its openness to all.