Megawati rules out Cabinet revamp<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
President Megawati Soekarnoputri rejected on Tuesday demands by
\nher Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) to
\nreshuffle her one-year-old Cabinet, dismissing the proposal as a
\nwaste of time the government could not afford.<\/p>\n
PDI Perjuangan secretary-general Soetjipto said the President,
\nwho also leads the party, never considered reshuffling her
\nCabinet.<\/p>\n
\"Because if we do (the reshuffle) in these conditions, it
\nwould take time to adjust and begin working, so when are we going
\nto work?\" Soetjipto quoted Megawati as saying during the party's
\nweekly meeting on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
\"The President is continuing the previous administration,
\nwhich has not completed its full five-year term,\" he added.<\/p>\n
Soetjipto was referring to the administration of Megawati's
\npredecessor, Abdurrahman Wahid, whose 22-month-long presidency
\nended with his ouster by the legislature in July 2001.<\/p>\n
The next general election is scheduled to take place in less
\nthan two years time.<\/p>\n
Despite the short time left this administration to complete
\nits work, calls for a Cabinet reshuffle have been increasing,
\nmainly from within the President's own party.<\/p>\n
The PDI Perjuangan faction in the House of Representatives
\nthreatened on Monday to reject Megawati's 2003 budget proposal
\nunless she replaced at least one-fifth of her 32-member Cabinet.
\nThe party controls the most number of seats in the House.<\/p>\n
Analysts suspects PDI Perjuangan's threats are meant to
\nincrease the pressure on Megawati to allot party members more
\nseats in the Cabinet.<\/p>\n
The party has four members in the current Cabinet lineup:
\nState Minister for State Enterprises Laksamana Sukardi, Minister
\nof Forestry Mohamad Prakosa, Minister of Manpower and
\nTransmigration Jakob Nuwa Wea and State Minister of National
\nDevelopment Planning\/Bappenas chairman Kwik Kian Gie.<\/p>\n
PDI Perjuangan's faction chairman in the House, Roy B.B.
\nJanis, fell short of naming the ministers his party considers
\nunable to carry out their duties when he issued the party's
\nultimatum on Monday. But he said the government had failed to
\nmanage properly the country's economy and political affairs.<\/p>\n
Critics have said the government is doing too little to help
\npeople at the grassroots level, who are suffering economic
\nhardship. This, they say, might come back to haunt PDI Perjuangan
\nin the next general election, considering that the grassroots
\nvote propelled Megawati's party to victory in the 1999 elections.<\/p>\n
Recent blunders like the government-sponsored treasure hunt on
\na protected historic site and the poor handling of thousands of
\nillegal workers facing possible caning in Malaysia have added to
\nthe criticism of Megawati's Cabinet.<\/p>\n
Soetjipto, however, said he saw no reason for Megawati to
\nreplace ministers.<\/p>\n
Ahmad Farhan Hamid, the chairman of the Reform faction in the
\nHouse, which often sets itself in opposition to Megawati's
\nadministration, also said a Cabinet reshuffle was unnecessary.<\/p>\n
\"There are complaints as always, like weak law enforcement,
\nbut otherwise I don't think it's necessary,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He said it was important for the government to move within the
\nboundaries of the State Policy Guidelines, the National
\nDevelopment Programs and People's Consultative Assembly decrees.<\/p>\n
Soetjipto also brushed aside the possibility that demands for
\na Cabinet reshuffle had caused a rift within the party. The
\nissue, he said, was never even discussed at meetings.<\/p>\n
\"We just asked (Megawati) for confirmation of whether the
\nPresident wanted to change the Cabinet. And the demand to replace
\nministers is not the position of this party,\" he added.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/megawati-rules-out-cabinet-revamp-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}