Indonesia's top security minister, Mohammad Mahfud M.D., has resigned from the Cabinet ahead of this month's election. Mahfud announced his resignation on Wednesday, stating that he intends to focus on his vice presidential bid as the running mate of former Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo.
During a news conference after a meeting with President Joko Widodo, Mahfud officially tendered his resignation, citing political developments and other duties that required his attention. Observers have speculated that Mahfud's decision to step down was influenced by Pranowo's criticisms of Widodo's administration during the election campaign.
Mahfud's resignation has fueled speculation about other potential Cabinet resignations before the election. Currently, the election is a three-way race between Pranowo, former Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan, and Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto, who is widely considered the frontrunner and has chosen the president's son as his running mate.
The upcoming election will determine Widodo's successor as he is serving his second and final term as president. Adi Prayitno, the executive director of Indonesian Political Parameters, a reputable opinion poll institution, believes that Mahfud's resignation may serve as a provocation or trigger for other ministers to follow suit.
One controversial aspect of the election has been the country's Constitutional Court's exception to the minimum age requirement of 40 for vice presidential candidates. This exception allowed Widodo's 36-year-old son, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, to enter the race. Subsequently, the chief justice, who is Widodo's brother-in-law, was removed by an ethics panel for failing to recuse himself and for making last-minute changes to election candidacy requirements.
This ruling has sparked heated debate in Indonesia, with Raka's candidacy being seen as implicit support from Widodo for Subianto's third bid for the presidency. Subianto has promised to continue with the president's development plan, which many experts interpret as an attempt to capitalize on Widodo's popularity.
As the election draws closer, Mahfud's resignation adds another layer of complexity to an already highly contested race. Whether his resignation will pave the way for other cabinet members to step down remains to be seen. Ultimately, the outcome of the election will shape the future of Indonesia and determine the leader who will succeed Joko Widodo as president.
