"I might meet with Mr. Mahfud later in the afternoon," the president remarked on the sidelines of his visit to a market to inspect the prices of staple goods in Wonogiri, Central Java Province, on Thursday, as monitored online from Jakarta.
The meeting is being prepared following the plan to resign revealed by Mahfud, who is running as a vice presidential candidate in the upcoming presidential election.
Jokowi said he respects the coordinating minister's decision to step down from the cabinet.
"That is his right in a democracy," the president stated in connection with Mahfud's decision.
Earlier, on Wednesday (January 31), Mahfud revealed that he would soon exit the cabinet, saying that he plans to hand in his resignation to the head of state in person.
"I will report (to the president). I am done (here)," he said in a live broadcast from Lampung.
Related news: Mahfud allowed to resign from cabinet: President Jokowi
Mahfud, serving as coordinating minister for 4.5 years, explained that he took the decision based on political reasons while noting that he did not want his political campaign to disrupt the state administration.
"Due to political differences, I believe that I should step down in order to prevent disruption to both the administration and my campaign," he remarked.
He further highlighted the need to personally submit his resignation to Jokowi as a form of respect to the Indonesian head of state.
Meanwhile, on the same day, coordinator of the presidential special staff, Ari Dwipayana, expressed hope that Mahfud's office would run its functions normally after the minister's exit.
"We hope no issues arise following the coordinating minister's resignation. Hopefully, the government administration and ministry functions should continue running smoothly," Dwipayana stated in Jakarta.
He noted that after Mahfud submits his resignation, Jokowi will respond to the resignation request, noting that the president may approve the request by issuing a presidential decree.
He added that after permitting Mahfud to step down, Jokowi will appoint an official as the next leader of the ministry, either in the capacity of an acting minister or a definitive minister.
Related news: Mahfud's exit should not disrupt ministry functions: Jokowi's aide
Translator: Yashinta D, Tegar Nurfitra
Editor: Yuni Arisandy Sinaga
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