Mari'e joins team advising Habibie<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Former minister of finance Mar'ie Muhammad has
\naccepted an offer by President B.J. Habibie to become a
\npresidential economic advisor, a minister said on Monday.<\/p>\n
\"Pak Mar'ie is still needed by the government due to his
\nexperience, capability and thoughts in our effort to step up
\neconomic development,\" Minister\/State Secretary Akbar Tandjung
\nsaid after accompanying Habibie to the opening of a congress of
\nthe Association of Indonesian Publishers (IKAPI) at Merdeka
\nPalace.<\/p>\n
Mar'ie will become the President's fourth economic advisor.
\nThe others are former coordinating ministers for economy, finance
\nand industry Widjojo Nitisastro and Ali Wardhana, and former
\nminister of finance Frans Seda. According to Antara, Habibie will
\nalso appoint former minister\/state secretary Saadilah Mursjid as
\nhis advisor for administrative affairs.<\/p>\n
Mar'ie, who was minister of finance from 1993 to March 1998,
\nmet with Habibie on Saturday. He refused to talk to journalists
\nafter the meeting despite a promise to brief them on the
\ndiscussion's results.<\/p>\n
\"In principle, Pak Mar'ie does not have any objection,\" Akbar
\nasserted.<\/p>\n
Mar'ie could not be reached for comment because he was out of
\ntown.<\/p>\n
\"Bapak is not in Jakarta, and I don't know how to contact him
\nnow,\" his daughter told The Jakarta Post on Monday evening.<\/p>\n
Mar'ie is known as one of among the few ministers who blocked
\nHabibie's projects when the latter was still state minister of
\nresearch and technology in the same cabinet.<\/p>\n
The House of Representatives (DPR) dropped Mar'ie on Thursday
\nas a candidate for the chairmanship of the Supreme Audit Agency.<\/p>\n
Habibie reportedly favors former minister of trade Satrio
\n\"Billy\" Joedono to head the agency.<\/p>\n
Former president Soeharto dismissed Billy in 1995 as minister
\nof trade and then appointed him as ambassador to France. The
\nministry was then merged with the ministry of industry to become
\nthe Ministry of Industry and Trade.<\/p>\n
Mar'ie recently turned down an offer by Habibie for an
\nambassadorial post in a European country, saying it was better
\nfor him to serve in Indonesia during the economic recession.<\/p>\n
He is currently the chairman of the Indonesian Transparency
\nSociety, which campaigns for greater government openness.<\/p>\n
\"He can continue his job as the leader of the Indonesian
\nTransparency Society because we also need input from the
\nsociety,\" Akbar noted.<\/p>\n
Soeharto reportedly blamed Mar'ie, nicknamed \"Mr. Clean\", and
\nformer governor of Bank Indonesia Soedradjad Djiwandono as being
\namong the officials most responsible for the country's economic
\ncrisis.<\/p>\n
Soeharto also fired Soedradjad just a few weeks before the
\ncabinet's term expired in March. (prb)<\/p>",
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