Megawati names rainbow cabinet<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): President Megawati Soekarnoputri named her
\nCabinet on Thursday, giving away some, but not all, of the seats
\nto the political factions, including the Indonesian Military
\n(TNI), who had supported her rise to power 18 days earlier.<\/p>\n
Most key cabinet posts, particularly in the economic arena,
\nwere given to professionals and bureaucrats, but there were
\nenough seats left to placate the political factions and secure
\nher the crucial support of the legislature.<\/p>\n
While accommodating what she referred to as \"today's political
\nreality\", Megawati retained some ministers from the last cabinet,
\nor recalled some who were fired by her predecessor Abdurrahman
\nWahid, to provide continuity as well as sense of familiarity.<\/p>\n
Twelve of the ministers had worked with her in her capacity as
\nvice president between October 1999 and July 2001.<\/p>\n
Gen. (ret) Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Jusuf Kalla were
\nrecalled and given key posts as coordinating ministers,
\nrespectively for political and security affairs, and for people's
\nwelfare.<\/p>\n
University of Indonesia economist Dorodjatun Kuntjoro Jakti,
\nwho recently ended his term as ambassador to the United States,
\nheads Megawati's economic team.<\/p>\n
Boediono, a highly respected career central bank official, is
\nthe new finance minister, while Rini Soewandi, one of Indonesia's
\nmost highly paid professional managers, heads up the powerful
\nMinistry of Industry and Trade.<\/p>\n
Matori Abdul Djalil, who lost his job as chairman of
\nAbdurrahman's National Awakening Party (PKB) because of his open
\nsupport for Megawati's election, has been rewarded with the
\ndefense portfolio, continuing a policy initiated by Abdurrahman
\nof entrusting the job to civilians rather than military officers.<\/p>\n
Lt. Gen. Hari Sabarno, who as chairman of the TNI\/National
\nPolice faction in the House of Representatives (DPR) assisted
\nMegawati's on her rise to power, is the new home affairs
\nminister. He will have to retire from active service in the
\nmilitary before serving in a civilian post.<\/p>\n
Hassan Wirajuda, a senior career diplomat, heads the Ministry
\nof Foreign Affairs.<\/p>\n
Megawati revived the Ministry of Social Services, but not the
\nMinistry of Information, both of which were dissolved by
\nAbdurrahman in October 1999.<\/p>\n
She instead created the post of State Minister of
\nCommunications and Information, which will have less power than
\nthe old Ministry of Information, which had a long history of
\nsuppressing the Indonesian media.<\/p>\n
She awarded the post of chief of the State Intelligence
\nCoordinating Board (Bakin) to her long time friend and advisor,
\nLt. Gen. (ret) A.M. Hendropriyono.<\/p>\n
Lt. Gen. (ret) Agum Gumelar, who briefly served as
\nAbdurrahman's coordinating minister of political affairs, was
\ngiven his former job back as minister of transportation.<\/p>\n
Rounding up the list is Bambang Kesowo, a top bureaucrat who
\nwas Megawati's private secretary when she was vice president.<\/p>\n
In all, 32 of the 33 Cabinet posts have been filled.<\/p>\n
By personal background, the new Cabinet consists of:<\/p>\n
* Seven bureaucrats: Bambang Kesowo, Hassan Wirajuda, Rokhmin
\nDahuri, Soenarno, I Gde Artika, Feisal Tamin and Nabiel Makarim.<\/p>\n
* Eight professionals: Dorodjatun Kuntjoro Jakti, Boediono,
\nRini Soewandi, Laksamana Sukardi, Bungaran Saragih, Purnomo
\nYusgiantoro, Achmad Sujudi and Manuel Kaisiepo.<\/p>\n
* Four military officers: Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, Hari
\nSabarno, Agum Gumelar and A.M. Hendropriyono.<\/p>\n
* Eleven politicians: M. Prakosa, Jacob Nuwa Wea and Kwik Kian
\nGie (PDI-P Perjuangan); Jusuf Kalla, Sri Rejeki Soemaryoto and
\nSyamsul Mu'arif (Golkar); Bachtiar Chamsyah, Alimarwan Hanan
\n(PPP); Yusril Ihza Mahendra (PBB); Matori Abdul Djalil (formerly
\nof PKB); and Hatta Rajasa (PAN).<\/p>\n
* Two from large Islamic organizations: Abdul Malik Fajar
\n(Muhammadiyah) and Said Agil Munawar (Nahdlatul Ulama).<\/p>\n
Megawati has yet to name the new Attorney General, a crucial
\nyet challenging post given the massive backlog of pending
\ncorruption and human rights cases, many of them involving
\nformerly politically powerful people. She promised to announce
\nthe name after the installation of the new Cabinet on Friday.<\/p>\n
The President is also expected to soon announce her
\nnominations for the new TNI chief to succeed incumbent Navy
\nAdmiral A.S. Widodo, and the new National Police chief to succeed
\nGen. Soerojo Bimantoro. By law, these two appointments must first
\nbe approved by the House of Representatives.<\/p>\n
Megawati, who owes her ascent to power to the various
\npolitical factions, appropriately named her team the Gotong
\nRoyong Cabinet, after the age-old tradition of \"mutual help\"
\nfound in Indonesian villages whereby every one contributes and
\nbenefits from a common project.<\/p>\n
Megawati's father, Indonesia's first president Sukarno,
\nconferred the name Gotong Royong on the House of Representatives
\nhe established after dissolving the elected parliament in 1959.<\/p>\n
Megawati is the chairwoman of the PDI-P, which controls 35
\npercent of the seats in the House of Representatives. Vice
\nPresident Hamzah Haz is chairman of the United Development Party
\n(PPP), the third largest faction in the House behind Golkar.<\/p>\n
In announcing her team, Megawati said she \"took into account
\nviews as expressed through the political parties and the mass
\nmedia, as well as those conveyed directly to me.\"<\/p>\n
\"I fully understand today's political reality as well as those
\naspirations,\" she said, stressing that she had consulted the Vice
\nPresident, all party chairmen, and the leadership of the People's
\nConsultative Assembly (MPR).<\/p>\n
She said the Cabinet would do its best in facing up to the
\ndifficult challenges facing it between now and the end of her
\nterm in 2004.<\/p>\n
Megawati outlined a six-point working program for the Cabinet
\nwhich consisted of the following:<\/p>\n
* Maintaining national unity<\/p>\n
* Continuing the reform and democratization processes<\/p>\n
* Normalizing the country's economic life<\/p>\n
* Upholding the law, restoring security and peace, and
\neradicating corruption, collusion and nepotism<\/p>\n
* Restoring Indonesia's international credibility and
\nregaining international confidence<\/p>\n
* Laying the groundwork for the 2004 general election.<\/p>\n
\"Given the present high expectations among the public that we
\nquickly emerge from the various difficulties that we are facing
\ntoday, I fully realize the onerous challenges and duties that lie
\nahead for this Cabinet,\" Megawati said.<\/p>\n
Calling for the support of the House, the MPR and the entire
\nnation, she said: \"God willing, the Cabinet that I lead with the
\nhelp of my Vice President, will be capable of carrying out these
\nonerous tasks in the time allotted to me.\" (team)<\/p>",
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