Abdurrahman bets his post on new Cabinet, says Akbar<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): House of Representatives Speaker Akbar Tandjung
\nsaid that President Abdurrahman Wahid was betting his presidency
\non the new Cabinet which consists of his own men and decided upon
\nwith little involvement from political parties.<\/p>\n
\"If the Cabinet fails to perform well, the People's
\nConsultative Assembly will be firm in evaluating the government
\nin the next annual session,\" he was quoted by Antara as saying
\nduring a meeting with the Indonesian community in New York on
\nSaturday.<\/p>\n
In the meeting, moderated by Indonesian Consul General in New
\nYork I Gusti Ngurah Swetja and attended by Indonesia's permanent
\nrepresentative to the United Nations Makarim Wibisono, Akbar said
\nthe Assembly would be more outspoken if the Cabinet did not
\nfulfill public expectations.<\/p>\n
He said although the next annual session, expected to be held
\nin August next year, is not going to ask for the government's
\naccountability, it could ask the President to account for his
\nactions.<\/p>\n
In his first comment on the new Cabinet, Akbar, who is also
\nchairman of the Golkar Party, did not elaborate on what he meant
\nby the Assembly asking for the President's accountability.<\/p>\n
\"Gus Dur's duty will become harder and harder since he cannot
\nsay it was a compromise Cabinet,\" Akbar added.<\/p>\n
Akbar revealed that he was asked by the President for his
\nviews when establishing the previous Cabinet in October, however
\nhe was not consulted on the lineup of the new Cabinet. And
\nneither were other political parties, according to Akbar.<\/p>\n
Before going to the United States last week, Akbar said he
\nonly discussed the structure of the new Cabinet with the
\nPresident without naming potential ministerial candidates.<\/p>\n
\"Golkar was never asked to discuss the Cabinet lineup. We have
\nour own evaluation of the Cabinet,\" he contended.<\/p>\n
Akbar said the establishment of the new Cabinet should have
\nconsidered two important factors: capability and political
\nsupport.<\/p>\n
He argued that political support is needed since Cabinet
\nministers would often have to meet with members of the House of
\nRepresentatives.<\/p>\n
\"But Golkar is not in a position to reject the Cabinet since
\nthe establishment of the Cabinet is the President's prerogative,\"
\nhe noted.<\/p>\n
Akbar also expressed his disappointment on the instability
\nprevailing in Indonesia which has been worsened by the recent
\nwave of bombings.<\/p>\n
\"The bombing cases can create an assumption that there are
\nmany terrorists in Indonesia. Even, spreading rumors that foreign
\nterrorists operate in the country,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He said these cases could erode public trust on the ability of
\nthe police, especially if the police fail to resolve these cases.<\/p>\n
At least two bomb blasts rocked Jakarta and Medan in North
\nSumatra recently.<\/p>\n
In early July, a homemade bomb exploded in the attorney
\ngeneral's office in South Jakarta.<\/p>\n
On Aug. 1, a huge bomb exploded outside the residence of the
\nPhilippine Ambassador to Indonesia Leonides T. Caday, on Jl. Imam
\nBonjol in Central Jakarta, killing at least two people.<\/p>\n
In Medan, the capital of North Sumatra, two bomb blasts
\noccurred in separate areas last week. The city was also rocked by
\na blast in May when a bomb exploded in a church.<\/p>\n
The police are still searching for the suspects of the
\nbombings. (jun)<\/p>",
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