Gus Dur denies 'rift' with Megawati<\/p>\n
By Budiman Moerdijat<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): President Abdurrahman Wahid denied strained
\nrelations with Vice President Megawati Soekarnoputri despite the
\nlatter's conspicuous absence during the announcement of the new
\nCabinet on Wednesday, the President's biographer said.<\/p>\n
Greg Barton, who is completing Abdurrahman's biography and
\nwith whom he has built a close rapport, told The Jakarta Post on
\nThursday that Megawati's absence was not a sign that she was
\nunhappy with the President's choices but merely because the Vice
\nPresident felt that \"to read the Cabinet lineup and take
\nquestions from the media at short notice would be intimidating\".<\/p>\n
\"What happened yesterday was really coincidental. Ibu Mega
\ncame to the palace at around 3 p.m., talked to Gus Dur until
\nabout 4 p.m. then she excused herself saying 'I am not ready to
\nappear to make the announcement' and then she left,\" Barton said.<\/p>\n
\"I think for Megawati to read the lineup of the Cabinet would
\nbe quite challenging, not like (Cabinet Secretary) Marsilam
\nSimanjuntak... it is only everyday business, it is no problem,\"
\nBarton remarked.<\/p>\n
He said the relationship between Abdurrahman and Megawati \"at
\nthe moment is getting better and better\".<\/p>\n
Megawati's absence on Wednesday sparked speculations of a rift
\nbetween the two.<\/p>\n
Abdurrahman at the time said that Megawati was in a hurry to
\nhave a bath.<\/p>\n
Barton, an academic who specialized in liberal Islam in
\nIndonesia and a senior lecturer at Deakin University, Australia,
\nadmitted that Abdurrahman's comment was \"inappropriate\".<\/p>\n
He said that the comment was not actually meant to \"humiliate\"
\nMegawati but \"to laugh off the whole room\" and added that
\nAbdurrahman's words should not have been taken literally.<\/p>\n
Barton said, however, that there was \"one minor disagreement\"
\nbetween Abdurrahman and Megawati over the timing of the Cabinet
\nannouncement.<\/p>\n
Foreign Minister Alwi Shihab had said that Megawati wanted
\nAbdurrahman to be more cautious in selecting the Cabinet members
\nwhile the President wanted to announce the Cabinet lineup sooner
\nas there had been some pressure from business circles to do so.<\/p>\n
The announcement of the Cabinet lineup on Wednesday surprised
\nmany people as it had initially been scheduled for Thursday.<\/p>\n
Some choices have been criticized and the Cabinet has already
\nbeen dubbed \"all the President's men\" as most strategic posts
\nwere given to people close to Abdurrahman.<\/p>\n
Barton said Abdurrahman was aware of the criticism and that he
\nmight make some explanation in the near future for his choices.<\/p>\n
\"I joined him this morning for a walk. After the walk we were
\nsitting and talking and somebody brought in newspapers and the
\nadjutant read the front page of Kompas and then Gus Dur said it
\n(the reaction) is natural and understandable and ... he is aware
\nof the need to respond to it,\" Barton said referring to the
\nnewspaper headline, the \"President's big gamble\".<\/p>\n
He said an explanation for the President's choices was needed
\nas \"the new cabinet is not an all-star team\".<\/p>\n
\"If you choose somebody well-known like for example Faisal
\nBasri or Sri Mulyani as finance minister ... there would be no
\nneed for a press conference,\" Barton said.<\/p>\n
Criticism was largely directed at Gus Dur's choice of
\nCoordinating Minister for the Economy Rizal Ramli, Finance
\nMinister Prijadi Praptosuhardjo and Defense Minister Mahfud M.D.<\/p>\n
Barton said Abdurrahman believed that Rizal could be \"a good
\nhands on manager\" while Prijadi could be \"a good team player\".<\/p>\n
\"So, if Rizal Ramli is Batman, he (Prijadi) can be Robin, he
\ncan play the junior position without any conflict of ego which I
\nthink is really required now,\" he said referring to the comic
\nbook super heroes.<\/p>\n
Prijadi was chosen despite failing the fit and proper test by
\nBank Indonesia (the central bank) earlier this year for the job
\nof heading state Bank Rakyat Indonesia (BRI).<\/p>\n
Barton said the President did not regard the fit and proper
\ntest as \"an issue\" since Prijadi's failure was because of
\n\"political opposition\".<\/p>\n
\"People around (BI governor) Syahril Sabirin are from a
\ndifferent camp so it was like office politics and Gus Dur does
\nnot regard the fit and proper test as an issue here,\" Barton
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Commenting on the choice for the defense portfolio, Barton
\nsaid Abdurrahman believed Mahfud was the right person as the
\nimportant task ahead would be legal reform.<\/p>\n
\"Gus Dur's argument is that if Mahfud is there as a professor
\nof constitutional law, he can work with Yusril. Mahfud is not
\nsuch a big name like Yusril so he can be partner. One is big name
\nand one is low-key, that is the logic for that choice,\" he said
\nreferring to Minister of Justice and Human rights Yusril Ihza
\nMahendra.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/gus-dur-denies-rift-with-megawati-1447893297",
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