Editorial
This unofficial shadow cabinet offers something the Prabowo administration currently lacks: a rigorous, uncompromised sparring partner.
Eleven of the "shadow cabinet's" 15 members gather for their first working meeting in Jakarta on July 27, 2026, following the launch of the self-styled watchdog initiative. (Courtesy of /The Shadow Cabinet)
There is something both inspiring and deeply alarming about the sight of scholars and activists donning formal suits to convene an unofficial "shadow cabinet."It is inspiring because, in a country where genuine political dissent is being rapidly engineered out of existence, a collection of academics, lawyers and civic leaders still care enough to stand up and demand accountability. It is deeply alarming because, in a functioning constitutional republic, they shouldn't have to.
When President Prabowo Subianto built his sprawling coalition government, he didn't just build a legislature majority; he effectively bought out the opposition.
