Mega chairs last Cabinet meet<\/p>\n
Fabiola Desy Unidjaja and Adianto Simamora, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Tears, laughter, anecdotes and a photo session marked an end to
\nPresident Megawati Soekarnoputri's 39-month tenure on Monday,
\nwhich saw her preside over her last Cabinet meeting.<\/p>\n
All ministers dressed up for the occasion, with the men in the
\ntraditional cap peci and women in the national kebaya costume.<\/p>\n
Everyone looked relaxed as they walked into the President's
\nnew office.<\/p>\n
"We were required to wear this peci, maybe to make it suitable
\nfor us to receive donations," interim coordinating minister for
\npeople's welfare Abdul Malik Fadjar joked with journalists,
\nturning his peci upside-down as if he was collecting money.<\/p>\n
Several ministers also kidded Minister of Foreign Affairs
\nHassan Wirayuda and Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources
\nPurnomo Yusgiantoro, who had been summoned to president-elect
\nSusilo Bambang Yudhoyono's residence in Cikeas, Bogor.<\/p>\n
"What, new colleagues? Everybody here is my colleague," Hassan
\nsaid, amid jokes from other ministers and journalists over his
\npossible continuation as foreign minister under Susilo.<\/p>\n
The only one who seemed not to be in a good mood was
\nIndonesian Military (TNI) chief Gen. Endriartono Sutarto. The
\nusually talkative four-star general lost his appetite for jokes
\nand walked quietly, with only a trace of a smile.<\/p>\n
Endriartono had tendered his resignation on Sept. 24 and
\nMegawati granted his request on Oct. 7. The House of
\nRepresentatives is currently processing his resignation.<\/p>\n
The Cabinet meeting began with a photo session, with all
\nposing together on the stairs leading up to Merdeka Palace, as
\nthey did three years ago when they were sworn in.<\/p>\n
Megawati smiled broadly and Vice President Hamzah Haz shared a
\nlight moment with her, while the ministers arranged themselves
\nfor the last picture.<\/p>\n
After two shots, Minister of Manpower and Transmigration Jacob
\nNuwa Wea arrived to the cheers of the rest of the Cabinet.<\/p>\n
Missing from the meeting was research and technology minister
\nHatta Radjasa, who had resigned after he was inducted on Oct. 1
\nas a House of Representatives legislator.<\/p>\n
"Thank you for everything, and let us meet again," the
\nPresident told journalists, who took the opportunity for a
\ncommemorative photo with Megawati.<\/p>\n
She held back tears as journalists bade farewell to her one by
\none.<\/p>\n
Each minister then received a photo album from the President
\nand during the brief Cabinet meeting, Megawati once again asked
\nthem to prepare detailed reports for the incoming government.<\/p>\n
On her last day in office, Megawati also signed 16 bills and
\npresidential decrees, including the controversial TNI bill, the
\nmigrant workers protection bill and the Idul Fitri transportation
\ndecree.<\/p>\n
"The President is also slated to sign a decree on the
\nappointment of a new Supreme Audit Agency chief as soon as
\npossible," State Secretary Bambang Kesowo said.<\/p>\n
At the end of the meeting, Megawati broke the fast with her
\nministers at the palace.<\/p>\n
Megawati maintains she will not attend Susilo's inauguration
\non Wednesday, despite requests from People's Consultative
\nAssembly leaders.<\/p>\n
State Minister of National Development Planning Kwik Kian Gie
\nsaid Megawati had no bones to pick with Susilo, her former chief
\nsecurity minister, but it was more because she could not contain
\nher emotions.<\/p>\n
"Her departing speech during the last Cabinet meeting was so
\nmoving that none of us could even look at her," Kwik told the
\nPost after the meeting.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Kwon Chin-ho, senior advisor to the South Korean
\nPresident and Yasuo Fukuda, a member of Japan's House of
\nRepresentatives, have confirmed their attendance at the
\ninauguration as special envoys of their countries.<\/p>\n
Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri of East Timor, Australian Prime
\nMinister John Howard, Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong,
\nMalaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Achmad Badawi and Sultan
\nHasanal Bolkiah of Brunei Darussalam have also confirmed their
\nattendance. Alkatiri and Howard are slated to arrive on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
This will mark the first time foreign leaders are attending
\nthe inauguration ceremony of an Indonesian president.<\/p>",
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