Men behind RI's most powerful woman<\/p>\n
By Kornelius Purba<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): They say that behind every powerful man is a
\nstrong woman.<\/p>\n
Some are asking if there are any strong men behind Vice
\nPresident Megawati Soekarnoputri, arguably Indonesia's most
\npowerful woman.<\/p>\n
Two men that immediately come to mind are vice presidential
\nsecretary Bambang Kesowo and, of course, Megawati's husband,
\nTaufik Kiemas.<\/p>\n
Under the official hierarchy at the newly revamped bureaucracy
\nof Office of the Vice President, the most \"influential\" person
\nshould be Bambang Kesowo, who heads the office.<\/p>\n
His influence stems from the fact that the enlarged vice
\npresidential staff are all subordinate to him. Technically, all
\nreports from the various deputies in the vice presidential
\nsecretary's office have to go through him before they reach
\nMegawati.<\/p>\n
President Abdurrahman Wahid signed on April 20 Decree No.
\n56\/2000 formalizing the new structure of this office.<\/p>\n
The decree directs the vice presidential secretary to help
\nwith the daily tasks of the Vice President and augments the
\nstructure of the Vice Presidential Secretariat.<\/p>\n
Based on the decree, Bambang has five deputies, with each
\ndeputy allocated five bureaus.<\/p>\n
Each bureau can have five sections, while each section is
\nallowed to have four subsections.<\/p>\n
Different to a presidential secretary, including Cabinet
\nSecretary Marsillam Simanjuntak and Presidential Secretary Djoko
\nMulyono, Bambang's position is only accorded the rank of a first
\nechelon official, not equal to that of a minister.<\/p>\n
Bambang is an old hand at bureaucratic affairs of the state
\nand was known as a trusted legal expert in the presidential
\npalace during the latter part of the Soeharto era.<\/p>\n
\"Not all of the old things should be changed. In this reform
\nera we must be wise and honest, and we must be able to see the
\ngood things from the past,\" Megawati said about her decision to
\nappoint Bambang as her secretary.<\/p>\n
Bambang worked as Cabinet deputy secretary for five years,
\nuntil September 1998. He was responsible for drafting bills and
\npresidential decrees.<\/p>\n
Born on March 27, 1945, Bambang graduated from the Faculty of
\nLaw at Gadjah Mada University in 1968. He obtained his master's
\ndegree from Harvard Law School in 1983.<\/p>\n
The fate of the presidential and vice presidential aides since
\nthe formation of the new government have been in stark contrast.<\/p>\n
While President Abdurrahman has sacked three secretaries since
\nhis election in October, Megawati Soekarnoputri seems quite
\nsatisfied with Bambang, whom she appointed in January.<\/p>\n
Megawati also seemed to fully entrust Bambang with most of the
\nselection of the deputies in her new office, who were sworn in on
\nJuly 3.<\/p>\n
\"Ibu Megawati, I report to you, that I have some friends from
\nthe State Secretariat who have wide ranging experiences. As they
\nare no longer used there, I invited them to join (you),\" Vice
\nPresidential Secretary Bambang Kesowo reported to Megawati before
\nshe swore in the new officials.<\/p>\n
Yaumil Agoes Achir, a professor of psychology at the
\nUniversity of Indonesia, was appointed deputy of people's welfare
\naffairs.<\/p>\n
Wahyudi Ruwiyanto, who previously worked for the Ministry of
\nNational Education, is the deputy for political affairs.<\/p>\n
Susiaty, a former senior official at the Ministry of Finance,
\nis deputy for economic affairs.<\/p>\n
Gunawan Sumodiningrat, who previously worked for the National
\nDevelopment Planning Board (Bappenas), is in charge of regional
\nand humanitarian affairs.<\/p>\n
Bambang Sutanto, a senior official at the State Secretariat
\nunder the era of Soeharto and B.J. Habibie, is deputy of
\nadministrative affairs.<\/p>\n
Former State Secretariat officials Asim Gunawan and Syafrudin
\nBahar were appointed as the Vice President's interpreter and
\nspeech writer, respectively.<\/p>\n
According to Bambang, political scientist and Indonesian
\nDemocratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) observer Cornelis
\nLay of the Gadjah Mada University was also being recruited as
\nbureau chief for national politics and domestic government
\naffairs.<\/p>\n
\"The number of civil servants working for Merdeka Selatan
\nPalace (the vice president's office) will remain at about 200,
\ndespite the increase in new positions here,\" Bambang told The
\nJakarta Post.<\/p>\n
Mom<\/p>\n
Not surprisingly, some have also noted the role of Megawati's
\nhusband, who has stood by her through tough times during the
\nSoeharto era and now accompanies almost everywhere.<\/p>\n
For those who are often around him, Taufik does not project
\nany personal sense of inferiority despite the important role of
\nhis wife.<\/p>\n
Openly calling her by the affectionate pet name of \"Ma\" (Mom),
\nTaufik is able to place himself well between the husband of the
\nVice President in the public sphere and father of the family.<\/p>\n
During a recent visit to Singapore, it was Taufik who
\nencouraged his wife, known for her reluctance to talk
\nspontaneously to journalists, to meet with members of the media.<\/p>\n
\"Ma, please talk to the journalists; they are waiting for
\nyou,\" Taufik persuaded his wife after a gathering of the
\nIndonesian community at the Indonesian Embassy there.<\/p>\n
Only Taufik himself knows the real influence he has on his
\nwife as vice president.<\/p>\n
In conversations with journalists, Taufik said his duty was to
\naccompany his wife as a husband.<\/p>\n
He often talks about politics, but quickly brushes off
\nsuggestions of his own role in state affairs or party politics.<\/p>\n
\"Ibu makes her own decisions as Vice President. However, when
\nit comes to family matters, I am the chief,\" Taufik recently
\nquipped.<\/p>\n
Taufik, a self-professed businessman, married Megawati in
\nMarch 1973. They have two sons and one daughter.<\/p>",
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