Akbar: The sooner the Cabinet is reshuffle the better<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): House of Representatives Speaker Akbar Tandjung
\nsuggested on Wednesday any Cabinet reshuffle take place before
\nthe General Session of the People's Consultative Assembly in
\nAugust, citing the urgency to solve the crucial problems facing
\nthe country.<\/p>\n
\"Because of the slow pace of the economic recovery and
\nanticorruption moves, I think the sooner the better to shake up
\nthe Cabinet,\" Akbar said, adding that July could be the right
\ntime for a reshuffle.<\/p>\n
He said an earlier meeting between himself, President
\nAbdurrahman Wahid, Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI
\nPerjuangan) chairwoman and Vice President Megawati Soekarnoputri
\nand National Awakening Party (PKB) chairman Matori Abdul Djalil
\ndiscussed the impending Cabinet reshuffle.<\/p>\n
The meeting, which took place at Megawati's official
\nresidence, prompted speculation that ministers added to a
\nreshuffled Cabinet would be drawn from PDI Perjuangan, Golkar and
\nPKB.<\/p>\n
Despite his advice, Akbar said it was up to Abdurrahman not to
\ninvolve political parties in the process of the reshuffle. He
\nalso said those recruited to fill ministerial posts should have
\nadequate capabilities, not simply proximity to the President.<\/p>\n
Abdurrahman hinted on Tuesday he might conduct a major Cabinet
\noverhaul in August. In a rare display of unity, all major
\npolitical parties have shown support for the move and have
\npromised to stay out of the President's way during the process.<\/p>\n
However, constitutional law experts said the 1945 Constitution
\ndoes not give the president complete freedom in selecting his or
\nher ministers. They said Abdurrahman could not ignore the wishes
\nof political parties, because ultimately the President must
\nanswer to the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR).<\/p>\n
One of the experts, Ismail Sunny, said due to the fact that
\nthe Constitution implies a \"half presidential\" system,
\nAbdurrahman could not reshuffle his Cabinet without consulting
\nwith major political parties.<\/p>\n
\"(The Cabinet reshuffle) cannot be done without the support of
\nthe political parties which make up the MPR,\" Ismail told The
\nJakarta Post on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
Another expert, Bagir Manan, shared Ismail's opinion, saying
\nthere were certain understandings or codes Abdurrahman had to
\nadhere to in executing the reshuffle. \"The President has to honor
\ncertain ethics or gentlemen's agreements which led him to the
\npresidency.\"<\/p>\n
Political observer Kusnanto Anggoro also voiced caution,
\nwarning Abdurrahman that removing all political party members
\nfrom his Cabinet would give the parties more of an opportunity to
\nimpeach him.<\/p>\n
Speaking on the sidelines of a seminar here, Kusnanto said the
\nmove would allow political parties to wash their hands of the
\nCabinet's poor performance and hold Abdurrahman alone accountable
\nfor the Cabinet's failures.<\/p>\n
\"The political parties are either trying to escape from the
\nadministration's recent failures or consolidate their own people.
\nBut both options will finally target Abdurrahman's stepping down
\nin August next year,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He said the reshuffle would not guarantee an improvement of
\nthe Cabinet's performance because middle-ranking state officials
\nunder the ministers came from the former administration and had a
\ndifferent vision.<\/p>\n
Kusnanto further asserted that Abdurrahman would only make \"a
\nrush decision\" if he went ahead with his planned Cabinet
\nreshuffle. Such a move, Kusnanto said, would further harm the
\nPresident rather than benefit him.<\/p>\n
Another political observer, Cornelis Lay from Gadjah Mada
\nUniversity, hailed the reshuffle proposal, saying it could create
\na more solid and effective Cabinet.<\/p>\n
Cornelis said the new Cabinet should consist of people from
\nthose political parties which performed well in last year's
\ngeneral election in order to gain political legitimacy.<\/p>\n
\"It is very important to consider that political parties are
\nallowed to form the Cabinet only if they can collect at least 51
\npercent of the vote to obtain political legitimacy,\" Cornelis
\nsaid in Yogyakarta.<\/p>\n
He said a PKB-Golkar or PKB-PDI Perjuangan combination in the
\nCabinet would be ideal because those parties formed the majority
\nin the House of Representatives. (10\/44\/45\/har\/jun\/dja)<\/p>",
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