Key Facts About Indonesia's Shadow Cabinet Formed by Civil Society

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - A civil society coalition in Indonesia has formed a Shadow Cabinet as a counterpart to the Red and White Cabinet of President Prabowo Subianto's government. Comprising activists, academics, and experts, the cabinet will develop alternative policies and oversee the government's performance.The Chair of the Shadow Cabinet Selection Committee, Feri Amsari, stated that the formation of this cabinet is based on the weakening of the check and balances mechanisms against the government. Nonetheless, he emphasized that the Shadow Cabinet does not aim to take over the government."The Shadow Cabinet is a platform for monitoring and developing evidence-based alternative policies, working pro bono, and being nonpartisan," said the lecturer from the Faculty of Law at the Andalas University in a written statement on Friday, July 17, 2026.Here are some facts about the Shadow Cabinet:Comprising 15 ministers selected through a processAccording to Feri, the Shadow Cabinet adopts the concept of a zaken cabinet, which consists of individuals selected based on expertise, rather than political party representation. From 121 applicants and 102 names proposed by civil society networks, Feri stated that the panelists finally settled on 15 ministers who will counterbalance Prabowo's ministers.Operational Mechanism of Shadow Cabinet MinistersEach minister in the Shadow Cabinet will directly counteract the ministers in the red and white cabinet. Therefore, Feri mentioned that every government policy will be reviewed and alternative suggestions provided based on respective fields, rather than general criticism.According to Feri, all minister responses are based on a framework of favoring the people. "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," he said.Self-FundedFeri stated that the Shadow Cabinet is not supported by any political force. Current operational funding comes from internal contributions of its members. In the future, they also plan to open public fundraising through crowdfunding platforms. Feri emphasized that the cabinet does not accept funds from foreign parties or corporations."The current operational funding comes from internal contributions, without foreign or corporate funds," said Feri.Critique on the Use of Taxpayers' MoneyThe Minister of Finance and Budget Governance of the Shadow Cabinet, Bhima Yudhistira Adhinegara, criticized the management of state budgets, which he deemed unaccountable."Starting from populist programs without research and pilot projects such as Free Nutritious Meals and Red and White Village Cooperatives," Bhima told Tempo on Saturday, July 18, 2026.Bhima proposed several steps, including freezing the budget for free nutritious meals programs, reforming public transportation and energy subsidies, not using state budgets to cover high-speed train issues, abolishing regulations deemed counterproductive, applying more progressive taxes, closing tax revenue leaks, ensuring that tax benefits are felt by the public, and ensuring that the government does not interfere with monetary policies.Composition of the Shadow Cabinet1. Secretary of State: Feri Amsari2. Minister of Home Affairs and National Security: Armand Suparman3. Minister of Foreign Affairs: Shofwan Al-Banna Choiruzzad4. Minister of Defense: Curie Maharani5. Minister of Women's Rights and Marginalized Groups: Khoirunnisa Nur Agustyati6. Minister of Law and State Policies: Yance Arizona7. Minister of Economy: Media Wahyudi Askar8. Minister of Finance and Budget Governance: Bhima Yudhistira Adhinegara9. Minister of Environmental Protection and Climate Change: Iqbal Damanik10. Minister of Education and Culture: Iman Zanatul Haeri11. Minister of Research, Technology, and Digital: Nenden Sekar Arum12. Minister of Health: Irma Hidayana13. Minister of Social and Basic Services: Nabiyla Risfa Izzati14. Minister of Agriculture and Food Sovereignty: Isnawati Hidayah15. Cabinet Secretary: Ahmad Jilul Q.F.(*)Dian Rahma Fika and Novali Panji Nugroho contributed to the writing of this article.Read: Indonesia's Shadow Cabinet Criticizes Prabowo's Budget, Economic PoliciesClick here to get the latest news updates from Tempo on Google News