Mutual-help Cabinet<\/p>\n
The one-week delay in the announcement of President Megawati
\nSoekarnoputri's Cabinet turned out to be worth the wait, judging
\nfrom the integrity, professionalism and inclusiveness of her core
\nworking team finally unveiled on Thursday morning.<\/p>\n
The misgivings many had harbored in view of the intense
\npolitical jockeying and horse trading, turned out to be entirely
\nunfounded. The ministers Megawati selected for what she called a
\ngotong royong (mutual help) Cabinet, fully met market
\nexpectations while still accommodating the competing interests of
\nmajor political parties to maintain a good rapport with the House
\nof Representatives.<\/p>\n
The core economic team is comprised entirely of highly
\nprofessional technocrats of impeccable integrity, who the market,
\nincluding the International Monetary Fund and other international
\ncreditors and investors, will feel very comfortable with.<\/p>\n
Dorodjatun Kuntjoro-jakti, the new coordinating minister for
\nthe economy, was dean of the Jakarta School of Economics at the
\nUniversity of Indonesia before serving as Indonesian ambassador
\nto the United States, a posting he has just concluded with high
\npraise from diplomats and the mass media in Washington.<\/p>\n
Another notable appointment is Boediono, a former central bank
\ndeputy governor who joined the Cabinet of former president B.J.
\nHabibie as the chief national development planner. A low-profile,
\nbut hard-working and highly respected technocrat within and
\noutside the country, Boediono will lend high credibility to the
\nCabinet as he, like Dorodjatun, is non-partisan.<\/p>\n
Since he has no political party affiliation, Boediono will
\nfind it much easier to gain market and political acceptance,
\nwhich is crucial for his task as he is in charge of the most
\npivotal elements of economic reform, which are vulnerable to
\npractices of corruption, collusion and nepotism.<\/p>\n
As the minister of finance, Boediono is in charge of fiscal
\nmanagement and overseeing the Indonesian Bank Restructuring
\nAgency (IBRA), which plays a crucial role in bank restructuring
\nand the recovery of about US$65 billion worth of distressed
\nassets acquired from closed and nationalized banks.<\/p>\n
Laksamana Sukardi, a highly-respected former banker, returned
\nto his old position of state minister for state-owned companies
\nin former president Abdurrahman Wahid's first Cabinet. Like
\nBoediono, Laksamana's high integrity will greatly help his
\ncredibility in overseeing around 160 state companies, which have
\nalways been prone to corruption, collusion and nepotism.<\/p>\n
Kwik Kian Gie, who was named chief of the National Development
\nPlanning Board, was the chief economics minister in Abdurrahman's
\nfirst Cabinet. Kwik is a highly vocal, yet respected technocrat.
\nThough Kwik and Laksamana are leaders of Megawati's Indonesian
\nDemocratic Party of Struggle, they command high market and
\npolitical acceptance as neither of them ever exhibited partisan
\nconduct during their previous stints in the Cabinet.<\/p>\n
The appointment of Rini M.Soewandi, former chief executive
\nofficer of publicly listed PT Astra International, will certainly
\nbe thoroughly welcomed by the market. As a former senior
\nexecutive at Citibank Indonesia, Rini will bring to her post a
\ngreatly valued treasure of well-rounded experience for pursuing
\nbusiness-friendly policies.<\/p>\n
It is a great comfort to note that Megawati, despite previous
\napprehension that she might succumb to the political infighting,
\nhas successfully passed the first big test of her leadership
\nabilities.<\/p>\n
She asked for a little more time to be able to choose the
\nright people. That is precisely what she has delivered in her
\nfirst Cabinet. And most impressive is that her selections do not
\nreflect any preferential treatment for her own political party
\ninterests.<\/p>\n
The manner in which Megawati kept a tight lid on her
\nselections was a well-calculated move to stamp her authority over
\nthe process.<\/p>\n
In her introduction to the announcement of the Cabinet,
\nMegawati candidly described the most pressing problems facing the
\nnation in the economic, social, security and legal areas and
\nrightly set the top priorities for the Cabinet's working programs
\nto address those problems.<\/p>\n
That clearly proves her complete understanding that a
\ncarefully selected Cabinet was crucial for regaining market
\nconfidence and maintaining the momentum of market optimism that
\nblossomed immediately after the end of Abdurrahman Wahid's
\nerratic style of leadership.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/mutual-help-cabinet-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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