Delay in Cabinet announcement gets mixed response<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): President Megawati Soekarnoputri's failure to
\nstrike a deal with political party leaders on the new Cabinet
\nline-up received mixed reactions from politicians on Thursday.<\/p>\n
Due to the failure on the deal, the Cabinet announcement would
\nlikely be made by next Thursday at the latest.<\/p>\n
Lt. Gen. Hari Sabarno, a deputy chairman of the People's
\nConsultative Assembly (MPR), appreciated Megawati's decision as
\nit reflected her caution in forming her Cabinet. It is better to
\nbe a bit late, but to be certain so as to avoid negative results,
\nhe said.<\/p>\n
Speaking after attending a meeting between party leaders and
\nthe President and Vice President, Hari revealed that the military
\nwould not propose any names because it was the President's
\nprerogative to recruit professionals to fill positions in the
\nCabinet.<\/p>\n
\"The most important thing here is that the military fully
\nsupports the new government under the leadership of Megawati and
\nHamzah Haz,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Rear Marshal Bachrum Rasir, a member of the Indonesian
\nMilitary\/National Police faction at the House of Representatives,
\ncalled on Megawati not to feel obliged to recruit her ministers
\nfrom political parties or the military.<\/p>\n
\"It is better for Megawati to set criteria before recruiting
\nthem, otherwise she will be confused if she has to consider all
\nthe names put forward by the political parties,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Separately, caretaker minister of defense Mahfud MD told The
\nJakarta Post that the delay in announcing the new Cabinet line-up
\nwould affect the performance of the caretaker Cabinet whose
\nministers were still burdened with making decisions on urgent
\npolicies.<\/p>\n
Mahfud, who is also the caretaker minister of justice and
\nhuman rights, urged the political parties to respect the
\nPresident's prerogative to appoint her ministers.<\/p>\n
He said that the demand by certain political parties over
\ncertain posts in the Cabinet was acceptable as \"they had a major
\nrole in bringing Megawati into the presidency.\"<\/p>\n
\"The parties were in consensus to oust Gus Dur (as former
\npresident Abdurrahman Wahid is known).<\/p>\n
\"But the parties must give freedom to Megawati, along with pak
\nHamzah Haz, to appoint her ministers,\" Mahfud said.<\/p>\n
Mahfud said he heard Megawati had been angered during a
\nmeeting for the formation of the Cabinet because the political
\nparties quarreled with one another over a certain Cabinet post.<\/p>\n
\"I heard that she (Megawati) said during the meeting that
\nshould they keep fighting, she would leave the Cabinet line-up to
\nthem,\" Mahfud said, remarking that if the struggle among parties
\npersisted, it would only benefit the Indonesian Military (TNI) as
\nit would enable it to dominate the Cabinet.<\/p>\n
\"If the political parties insist on being accommodated
\nproportionally in the Cabinet in consideration of their role in
\nousting Gus Dur, I'm afraid the military, which had the most
\nprominent role (in ousting Gus Dur), might control more than 50
\npercent of the Cabinet positions,\" Mahfud warned. (rms\/tso)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/delay-in-cabinet-announcement-gets-mixed-response-1447893297",
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