Megawati set to take charge<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): President Abdurrahman Wahid, who has been widely
\ncriticized in recent days for the management of his government,
\nagreed on Wednesday night to hand over the day-to-day running of
\nhis administration to Vice President Megawati Soekarnoputri.<\/p>\n
The announcement, made before the People's Consultative
\nAssembly (MPR), virtually closed an ongoing debate over whether
\nthe President should appoint a first minister, or delegate more
\nof his tasks and responsibilities to the Vice President.<\/p>\n
Gus Dur, as the President is popularly called, told a plenary
\nMPR meeting that he \"fully understood\" the demands by some MPR
\nfactions to change the way the government was being managed.<\/p>\n
\"That is why I will delegate to the Vice President the tasks
\nof carrying out the day-to-day technical details of running the
\ngovernment, preparing the Cabinet's working agenda and
\ndetermining the focus and priority of the government,\" he said to
\nlarge applause from the floor.<\/p>\n
The arrangement remains consistent with the presidential
\nsystem of government as regulated by the 1945 Constitution with
\nthe vice president accountable to the president, he said.<\/p>\n
\"The Vice President will report to me periodically, or
\nwhenever it is necessary,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The President's loose style of management -- or lack of it, as
\nsome critics have had it -- was widely attacked by almost all the
\nMPR factions during the Annual Session which began on Monday.
\nOthers attributed his problems to his physical condition, which
\nincludes impaired vision.<\/p>\n
In reviewing his first 10 months in office, the factions said
\nmany of the current problems facing Indonesia were caused by the
\npoor management of the government.<\/p>\n
The factions stopped short of calling for his resignation, but
\nvarious political parties in the past weeks have been lobbying
\nfor changes. One option widely debated was to appoint a first
\nminister; another was to let Megawati take over some of the tasks
\nof the President. Gus Dur settled for the second on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
Megawati, the daughter of Indonesia's first president Sukarno,
\nlost her bid for the presidential election in October to Gus Dur
\nalthough her Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI
\nPerjuangan) won the most seats in the general election in June
\n1999.<\/p>\n
Cabinet<\/p>\n
Gus Dur also disclosed a plan to \"restructure\", rather than
\nreshuffle his Cabinet, meaning not only replacing ministers, but
\nalso merging many of the ministries so that he would only need a
\nsmall Cabinet to assist his work.<\/p>\n
This decision was also made in response to \"constructive
\ninputs\" from many of the MPR factions, he said.<\/p>\n
\"Through a reshuffle, there will be a solid and professional
\nteam that should strengthen the performance of the government,\"
\nhe said.<\/p>\n
The restructuring was a consequence of decentralization
\nmeasures that have given greater autonomy to regional
\nadministrations, he said in his speech read by Cabinet Secretary
\nMarsilam Simanjuntak.<\/p>\n
\"This opens the way for streamlining the central government
\nbureaucracy by merging ministries that have overlapping
\nfunctions.<\/p>\n
\"We hope this restructurization will simplify the central
\ngovernments organization in line with its more limited authority
\nand therefore become more efficient and effective.\"<\/p>\n
Reaction from MPR members to the announcement of a greater
\nrole for Megawati was largely positive, although some suggested
\nthat it be formalized in an MPR decree.<\/p>\n
\"Gus Dur realizes that he is physically handicapped (in
\nleading the government). He is blind, so he cannot see or read,\"
\nMeliono Suwondo of PDI Perjuangan told reporters after the
\nspeech.<\/p>\n
Ade Komaruddin from Golkar said: \"An MPR decree is needed to
\nguarantee that the President does not change his mind.\"<\/p>\n
Bachtiar Chamsah of the United Development Party (PPP) also
\nsaid an MPR decree should explain details of the vice president's
\nduties, including whether she has the right to select her own
\nCabinet.<\/p>\n
\"If the Vice President cannot select her Cabinet, it will be
\nuseless,\" Bachtiar said.<\/p>\n
He recalled that former president Sukarno once delegated a lot
\nof his authority to vice president Mohammad Hatta.<\/p>\n
Earlier, Golkar Chairman Akbar Tandjung, who is also speaker
\nof the House Representatives, said his faction would support a
\ndecree recommending the President delegate his power to the Vice
\nPresident.<\/p>\n
Postdam Hutasoit of the PDI Perjuangan faction also supported
\ngiving Megawati more of a role in government.<\/p>\n
\"The two figures have strong legitimacy,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Political observer Pratikno of Gadjah Mada University in
\nYogyakarta said although such an arrangement was not written in
\nthe 1945 Constitution, it was still acceptable.<\/p>\n
Following Wednesday's announcement, speculation quickly
\nfocused on the lineup of the new Cabinet, expected to be picked
\nlargely from PDI Perjuangan, Golkar and the President's own
\nNational Awakening Party (PKB).<\/p>\n
State Minister of the Empowerment of Women Khofifah Indar
\nParawansa said the Cabinet would still reflect the result of
\nbargaining between political parties.<\/p>\n
\"We cannot ignore the political reality,\" Khofifah told
\nreporters earlier on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Finance and Industry
\nKwik Kian Gie said the President must take into account the
\nsupport of major political parties as well as competence and
\nprofessionalism when choosing his new Cabinet.<\/p>\n
\"Many people from the political parties are professional,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Negotiations had began even before the President's
\nannouncement, sources said.<\/p>\n
According to PKB sources, representatives of the PPP had
\napproached PKB to ask for three Cabinet seats in return for
\ntoning down its criticisms against the President.
\n(dja\/prb\/jun\/rms\/\/44)<\/p>",
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