Abdurrahman delays decision on Ryaas' resignation<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): President Abdurrahman Wahid delayed responding
\nto State Minister for Administrative Reform Ryaas Rasyid's
\nresignation submission from the Cabinet post, and asked him to
\nstay, pending consultation with Vice President Megawati
\nSoekarnoputri, a spokesman said on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
Presidential spokesman Wimar Witoelar said the move had to be
\ntaken due to a \"prior commitment\" between Abdurrahman and
\nMegawati that \"there should be no changes within the Cabinet\".<\/p>\n
\"Even if it (a cabinet reshuffle) is necessary to cater to Pak
\nRyaas Rasyid's request, the President still has to consult Ibu
\nMegawati before making any decision,\" Wimar said.<\/p>\n
\"It is the President's prerogative to include the Vice
\nPresident in decision-making,\" Wimar added.<\/p>\n
Ryaas tendered his resignation from the Cabinet on Tuesday
\nciting disagreements with Abdurrahman over the newly-implemented
\nregional autonomy.<\/p>\n
He said that there had been differences of opinion between him
\nand the President over the formation of a special agency on
\nregional autonomy.<\/p>\n
Abdurrahman rejected Ryaas' idea of establishing a powerful
\nautonomy supervisory board, instead opting for a lower-level
\ndirectorate-general under the home affairs ministry.<\/p>\n
Wimar said on Tuesday that Abdurrahman would consider the
\nresignation until Wednesday.<\/p>\n
In a statement on Wednesday Wimar said that \"a presidential
\nreply is being drafted now\", adding that it would be sent to
\nRyaas later in the day.<\/p>\n
\"The letter will stipulate that the President does not accept
\nPak Ryaas' resignation until he (Abdurrahman) has the chance to
\nmeet with the Vice President,\" Wimar said.<\/p>\n
Megawati is on a 12-day overseas trip which includes official
\nvisits to Switzerland, Bangladesh and Malaysia and a minor haj
\npilgrimage to Mecca. She is scheduled to return home on Jan. 9.<\/p>\n
Ryaas earlier claimed that, during his meeting with Megawati
\non Dec. 26, he already had a green light from the Vice President
\nto resign from the Cabinet.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Ryaas said later in the day that the development
\n\"has gone out of the scenario\".<\/p>\n
When asked whether he would backtrack on his plan to resign
\nfrom the Cabinet if he is offered the position of home affairs
\nminister by Abdurrahman, Ryaas responded that he \"is not
\ninterested in the job anymore\".<\/p>\n
\"You can mark my words that I will refuse that position. I
\nwould rather be an academic like I was before in order to get
\ncloser to you like this,\" Ryaas told a snap press briefing at his
\noffice.<\/p>\n
Later on Wednesday, House Speaker Akbar Tandjung threw his
\nsupport behind Ryaas saying that his resignation from the Cabinet
\nwas aimed at avoiding further conflict with Abdurrahman.<\/p>\n
\"The President should not wait for Megawati before making the
\ndecision,\" Akbar said.<\/p>\n
\"There will be no advantages of maintaining Ryaas' presence in
\nthe Cabinet since the division between the two will only stir
\nfurther conflicts in the future,\" Akbar said.<\/p>\n
Separately, Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Sarwono
\nKusumaatmadja dismissed rumors that he was quitting the Cabinet
\nand would be assigned to other ministerial posts, including to
\nfill Ryaas's current post.<\/p>\n
\"I am fitting in with my work now.<\/p>\n
\"I will stay in this Cabinet as long as Gus Dur does not ask
\nme 'to catch a fish in a tree' or do an impossible thing,\"
\nSarwono told The Jakarta Post and Kompas at his office on
\nWednesday.<\/p>\n
He said he would remain in his post \"even if there is another
\nministerial post offered (from the President) and so long as
\nthere is no interference to my work and my team\".<\/p>\n
Sarwono -- who was minister of administrative reform in
\nSoeharto's era -- further said that he actually felt honored to
\nbe part of the Cabinet in this time of crisis.<\/p>\n
\"We are muddling through the process and have to learn from
\npast mistakes. It's true that some of the ministers are tired and
\nfed up with the situation as Gus Dur, as we know, is a 'unique
\nand difficult person' to cope with.<\/p>\n
\"The situation is also getting worse due to unavoidable 'life
\nor death' struggles between elites of the old forces and the new
\nregime. This will only stop if both parties have a cease-fire,\"
\nhe said.<\/p>\n
A Cabinet source, however, said that Ryaas has actually been
\npartially successful in his efforts \"to tame Gus Dur\".<\/p>\n
\"From the beginning we can see that Ryaas is 'offering his
\nresignation' and not 'officially quitting'. He does not quit the
\nCabinet, indicating that he was half hoping the President will
\nreject his wish. Abdurrahman did turn down his resignation and
\nhinted that he would 'work things out', on issues such as the
\nregional autonomy scheme.<\/p>\n
\"So far Ryaas has won. It's up to Megawati now,\" the source
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
The source also said Ryaas managed to persuade four other
\nministers to follow suit, but they \"got cold feet\" after a series
\nof bomb explosions on Christmas Eve.<\/p>\n
\"It's all politics. Basically a figure needs a position.<\/p>\n
\"Those ministers left them (the rumors) floating to place a
\nhigh price on themselves. So, it's all about power,\" the official
\nsaid. (02\/byg\/edt\/rms)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/abdurrahman-delays-decision-on-ryaas-resignation-1447893297",
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