Gus Dur fires two ministers<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): President Abdurrahman Wahid axed Minister of
\nIndustry and Trade Yusuf Kalla and State Minister of Investment
\nand State Enterprises Development Laksamana Sukardi on Monday,
\nappointing Lt. Gen. Luhut Panjaitan and Rozy Munir as their
\nrespective replacements.<\/p>\n
Luhut, the Indonesian ambassador to Singapore, and Rozy, the
\nsecretary-general in Laksamana's office, will be sworn in on
\nWednesday.<\/p>\n
They are expected to immediately take up their duties by
\nattending a Cabinet meeting later in the afternoon.<\/p>\n
News of the reshuffle emerged after the two outgoing ministers
\nwere summoned to the palace in the evening.<\/p>\n
Cabinet Secretary Marsilam Simanjuntak, after accompanying the
\nPresident in the meeting, said Abdurrahman found himself with two
\nalternatives in trying to rejuvenate his economic team.<\/p>\n
\"The President's reason was to harmonize the economic team.
\nThere were two alternatives and the President opted to replace
\nLaksamana Sukardi and Yusuf Kalla,\" Marsilam said without
\nrevealing the second option.<\/p>\n
The Cabinet's economic team is generally viewed as comprising
\nfour core individuals, rounded out by Coordinating Minister for
\nthe Economy, Finance and Industry Kwik Kian Gie and Minister of
\nFinance Bambang Sudibyo.<\/p>\n
\"It's positive that they will not (be replaced),\" Marsilam
\nreplied when asked about the fate of Kwik and Bambang.<\/p>\n
The President spoke of disunity in his economic team in a
\ntelevised debate at the Jakarta Convention Center on Monday
\nnight.<\/p>\n
He said Laksamana and Kalla were replaced because they could
\nnot work together with the other two economic ministers: \"I asked
\nthem to be released from their duties. I used my prerogative as
\npresident.\"<\/p>\n
Politics<\/p>\n
The capital has been abuzz in recent weeks with rumors of
\nCabinet changes.<\/p>\n
Monday evening's 20-minute meeting came after Abdurrahman met
\nin the morning with International Monetary Fund (IMF) acting
\nmanaging director Stanley Fischer.<\/p>\n
Laksamana, a former leading official of the Indonesian
\nDemocratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), rushed to his car
\nand refused to talk to journalists after the meeting.<\/p>\n
Kalla, a top Golkar Party cadre, looked more relaxed and said
\nhe wanted to return to his hometown of Makassar, South Sulawesi.<\/p>\n
\"I was asked to choose between becoming a DPA (Supreme
\nAdvisory Council) member or an ambassador,\" Yusuf replied when
\nasked about the President's offer to him and Laksamana.<\/p>\n
\"I don't know whether the right term is that we resigned, or
\nwe were asked to resign. But when we were told that the Cabinet
\nwas not solid, it was better for us to quit.\"<\/p>\n
Kalla was the target of almost every reshuffle speculation in
\nthe past six months, while Laksamana's name was increasingly
\ntalked of following his failure to retain a seat in the new PDI
\nPerjuangan executive lineup.<\/p>\n
Laksamana and Kalla are the third and fourth Cabinet members
\nto be replaced in the six-month-old government, not including
\nGen. (ret) Wiranto who is currently suspended from duty.<\/p>\n
\"So far there are no more plans (to replace Cabinet members),\"
\nMarsilam said.<\/p>\n
The political fallout of the latest reshuffle remains to be
\nseen.<\/p>\n
The replacement of the then coordinating minister for people's
\nwelfare and poverty eradication, Hamzah Haz, in November,
\ntriggered a harsh political backlash because he was considered to
\nrepresent the \"axis force\" political coalition.<\/p>\n
It is unclear whether the two outgoing ministers have the same
\npolitical clout to spark similar ire from PDI Perjuangan and
\nGolkar.<\/p>\n
Golkar chairman Akbar Tandjung on Monday night said a reaction
\nfrom the party was pending an official explanation from the
\nPresident himself.<\/p>\n
\"We will ask the President to clarify it in the consultative
\nmeeting between the House of Representatives and the government
\non April 27,\" Akbar, who is also the House speaker, told The
\nJakarta Post at his residence.<\/p>\n
Akbar said he spoke to Kalla who told him that the replacement
\nwas made for the sake of the Cabinet's teamwork.<\/p>\n
Many are also awaiting an explanation of the choice of Luhut
\nand Rozy.<\/p>\n
Luhut, 53, graduated from the Indonesian Military Academy in
\n1970. He spent much of his military career in the Army's Special
\nForce (Kopassus) and also graduated from the National War College
\nin the United States.<\/p>\n
Abdurrahman has praised the three-star general for maintaining
\nan excellent relationship with Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong's
\ngovernment and in promoting Indonesia to Singapore's business
\ncommunity.<\/p>\n
He will become the sixth minister with a military background
\nin the Cabinet. It is likely that Luhut will have to resign from
\nactive duty, which was required of other military officers when
\nassuming ministerial positions.<\/p>\n
Luhut may also gain special insight into economic affairs from
\nnoted economist Sjahrir, who is married to his sister Kartini.<\/p>\n
Rozy, 57, is a senior member of the country's largest Muslim
\norganization Nahdlatul Ulama and the National Awakening Party,
\nwhich Abdurrahman founded. He is a graduate of the University of
\nIndonesia's School of Economics, where he continues to lecture.
\n(prb\/jun)<\/p>",
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