Cabinet 'will not abandon President'<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Chief political affairs minister Susilo Bambang
\nYudhoyono insisted on Monday that he and other ministers would
\nnot abandon the administration of President Abdurrahman Wahid in
\ntimes of crisis, and pledged to aid the embattled President to
\nmake the right political decisions.<\/p>\n
In a statement distributed by his office here on Monday,
\nSusilo said the situation and circumstances now were different to
\nthat of the mass resignation of several economics ministers led
\nby Ginandjar Kartasasmita on the eve of President Soeharto's
\nfall.<\/p>\n
\"I have an attitude and position which is different,\" Susilo,
\nwho is coordinating minister for political, social and security
\nAffairs, said.<\/p>\n
\"It is better for my friends (fellow ministers) and I to
\ncontinue helping the President and the Vice President by
\ncontinually providing recommendations to find a constructive
\npolitical solution while conducting our respective (ministerial)
\nduties,\" he said.<\/p>\n
\"We don't want to leave just like that!\"<\/p>\n
Susilo, one of the President's key advisors, made his
\nstatement in response to comments by a senior National Awakening
\nParty official who warned that the seven ministers providing
\nrecommendations following the issuance of the second memorandum
\nof censure could become \"Brutuses\" or traitors.<\/p>\n
Susilo's remarks also come amid speculation that the
\ngovernment is in disarray following Saturday's aborted Cabinet
\nmeeting.<\/p>\n
The minister said on Monday that he regretted the statement
\nsaying that it only aggravated the situation further.<\/p>\n
\"If the situation really deteriorates then it will be
\nPresident Abdurrahman himself who suffers,\" Susilo warned.<\/p>\n
Susilo heads a close-knit team which gave several
\nrecommendations to the President after the House issued the
\nsecond censure.<\/p>\n
While the specifics of the recommendations have not been made
\npublic, some ministers have revealed that they included a
\npossible delegation of executive power to Vice President Megawati
\nSoekarnoputri.<\/p>\n
Also among the officials who met with the President to deliver
\nthe recommendations were Minister of Defense Mahfud MD, Attorney
\nGeneral Marzuki Darusman, Minister of Foreign Affairs Alwi
\nShihab, Minister of Justice and Human Rights Baharuddin Lopa and
\nMinister of Settlement and Regional Infrastructure Erna Witoelar.<\/p>\n
Susilo said he could understand the criticism against the
\nministers, arguing that their recommendations would not satisfy
\neveryone.<\/p>\n
One example he cited was that the ministers were being blamed
\nfor not telling Abdurrahman to resign.<\/p>\n
\"I really don't understand. During the House plenary session
\nof April 30 as far as I know not a single faction called for Gus
\nDur's resignation...So why should the minister ask him to
\nresign?\"<\/p>\n
Susilo then went on to say that if the recommendations were
\nnot in line with what the President had in mind, \"It should not
\nbe perceived as disloyalty or treachery.\"<\/p>\n
He went on to note that in the past he had told Abdurrahman
\nthat \"in a critical situation\" he would provide recommendations
\nwhich may or may not be to the President's liking.<\/p>\n
\"What I am doing, and will continue to do, is so that Gus Dur
\ndoes not make the wrong political decisions.<\/p>\n
\"The risk is too high if the decision is wrong ... I leave
\nthat up to the people to judge whether these tough
\nrecommendations are salvation or treachery.\"<\/p>\n
Susilo further revealed that he and his fellow ministers would
\nlikely come under more scrutiny as Vice President Megawati had
\n\"purportedly\" asked them to provide further key recommendations
\nto the President.<\/p>\n
Separately in Bandung, West Java, noted Muslim scholar
\nNurcholish Madjid said the President should respond to the
\nHouse's censure in a calm and measured manner.<\/p>\n
\"The memorandum is only a statement ... The problem is Gus Dur
\npanicked,\" he said in a discussion on Saturday.<\/p>\n
According to Nurcholish, one problem was Abdurrahman's
\ninability to differentiate his personal role as a kyai (religious
\nleader) and as President.<\/p>\n
Nurcholish noted that the paternalistic and hierarchic kyai
\nstyle of leadership remained dominant in Abdurrahman's management
\nof government which was in fact unsuitable.<\/p>\n
\"But to summarily accuse him of being evil is difficult,
\nbecause he doesn't realize that his ways are erroneous as part of
\na modern political institution,\" Nurcholish said. (02\/25)<\/p>",
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