Bureacracy in disarray: Whose fault?<\/p>\n
Bambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
President Megawati Soekarnoputri's complaint that her cabinet
\nministers are unable to control their subordinates has stirred
\nquite a debate.<\/p>\n
Critics say that the President should have taken
\nresponsibility for the leadership fiasco as the highest
\ngovernment leader.<\/p>\n
Jimly Asshidiqie, a constitutional law expert from the
\nUniversity of Indonesia, said that ministers, as leaders in their
\nrespective offices, must be able to supervise their low-ranking
\nofficials so as to create an effective bureaucracy.<\/p>\n
\"The complaint was part of Megawati's style to improve the
\ncabinet's performance. And the ministers should take it as an
\norder from the president,\" he told The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
Megawati aired her complaint of the lack of coordination in
\nher bureaucracy when she met executives of the National Front,
\nincluding Kemal Idris, Sri Edi Swasono, Solihin G.P., Kharis
\nSuhud and Rachmat Witoelar.<\/p>\n
Quoting Megawati, Sri Edi said the ineffective bureaucracy was
\nmainly because cabinet ministers were unable to control their
\nsenior aides who in turn failed to supervise their subordinates.<\/p>\n
Sri Soemantri, a constitutional law expert from Bandung-based
\nPadjadjaran University, said that the lack of coordination among
\nofficials in the bureaucracy was alarming.<\/p>\n
\"Megawati should not hesitate to voice her criticism during
\ncabinet meetings that are also attended by director generals or
\nother senior officials at all ministries,\" Soemantri said.<\/p>\n
Soemantri praised recent stern action taken by Minister of
\nTrade and Industry Rini Soewandi to fire the director general of
\ninternational trade, Riyanto B. Yosokumoro, for breaching a joint
\nministerial decree.<\/p>\n
Riyanto was fired after he endorsed on Nov. 7 exports of
\nillegal logs by 11 companies, defying the ban imposed on them by
\nRini and two other related ministers.<\/p>\n
\"Such penalties are an effective way to discipline officials,\"
\nSoemantri said.<\/p>\n
Soemantri and Jimly said that many ministers were unable to
\nconcentrate on their state duties because they were busy helping
\ntheir respective political parties ahead of the 2004 general
\nelections.<\/p>\n
As politicians, ministers can normally fight for their own
\npolitical agenda but it should not disrupt or hamper their main
\nduties as state officials, Soemantri said.<\/p>",
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