PAN proposes two candidates for Susilo's Cabinet<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The National Mandate Party (PAN) has proposed two candidates for
\nministerial posts in the Cabinet of would-be president Susilo
\nBambang Yudhoyono.<\/p>\n
PAN deputy secretary Yasin Kara said party leader Amien Rais
\nhad proposed M. Hatta Radjasa and Bambang Sudibyo to Susilo
\nduring their last meeting at Amien's Yogyakarta residence before
\nthe Sept. 20 election runoff.<\/p>\n
\"There has been no written recommendation, but verbally the
\nmatter has been conveyed,\" Yasin said on Tuesday as quoted by
\nAntara.<\/p>\n
Hatta is the current Minister of Research and Technology and
\nad interim Minister of Communications, while Bambang served as
\nfinance minister under former president Abdurrahman Wahid, whom
\nMegawati replaced in 2001.<\/p>\n
\"The two candidates are quite representative and Pak Amien
\nappears to be consistent in their nomination,\" Yasin said.<\/p>\n
He said Bambang, a former chairman of the Indonesian
\nEconomists Association, could also be considered a representative
\nof Muhammadiyah, the country's second largest Muslim
\norganization.<\/p>\n
PAN decided to be neutral during the runoff, but allowed
\ndeputy leader Andi Mappetahang Fatwa to campaign for Susilo and
\nhis running mate Jusuf Kalla in an individual capacity.<\/p>\n
Susilo has said he would focus on a Cabinet lineup after the
\nGeneral Elections Commission (KPU) announced the official
\nelection result on Oct. 5, and would unveil it on Oct. 20, when
\nthe next president is to be inaugurated.<\/p>\n
\"I realize that the people are anxious to know about the
\nstructure and composition of the Cabinet. But please be patient
\nand not be tempted by misleading rumors,\" Susilo told the crowd
\nthat packed his private residence in Cikeas, Bogor, on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
People from across the country have swarmed to Susilo's house
\never since it became clear that he would garner majority votes in
\nthe runoff.<\/p>\n
The KPU's computerized vote-count showed on Tuesday that the
\nSusilo-Kalla pairing had won 60.9 percent of 110 million votes
\ncounted, compared to Megawati-Hasyim Muzadi's 39.1 percent.<\/p>\n
Separately, Kalla said Susilo's Cabinet would comprise up to
\n32 members, with professionals making up 60 percent and the rest
\ngoing to political parties.<\/p>\n
The current Cabinet consists of 30 ministers and three
\nofficials of a ministerial rank.<\/p>\n
Kalla said that those who would fill the ministerial posts
\nwere still being discussed.<\/p>\n
He also said Susilo and his confidants were still discussing
\nwhether or not to maintain the posts of coordinating minister.<\/p>\n
Observers have suggested that the three coordinating minister
\nposts be scrapped for the sake of efficiency, as the senior
\nministers did not contribute to the government's performance.<\/p>\n
When asked about the possibility of including members of the
\nGolkar Party and the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle
\n(PDI-P) in Susilo's Cabinet, Kalla said: \"Did the two parties
\nsupport our bid? Any Cabinet should be backed by the parties that
\nsupported its presidential candidate.\"<\/p>\n
Golkar, PDI-P and a number of minor political parties formed
\nthe Nationhood Coalition in mid-August to support Megawati's bid
\nfor a full five-year term.<\/p>\n
Now, with Susilo leading the polls, the future of the
\ncoalition hangs by a thread and is in peril of dissolving, with
\nGolkar split into pro-Megawati and pro-Susilo camps.<\/p>\n
Coalition members, however, have said they would decline
\nSusilo's offers of ministerial posts and instead be an opposition
\nforce in the House of Representatives.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/pan-proposes-two-candidates-for-susilos-cabinet-1447893297",
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