Parties warn of desertion from Cabinet<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Golkar Party and the Indonesian Democratic Party
\nof Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) threatened to withdraw all their
\nrepresentatives in the Cabinet on Tuesday unless the President
\ngives a satisfactory reason for Monday's reshuffle.<\/p>\n
\"We might withdraw ministers who come from Golkar. But that's
\na last resort,\" Golkar chairman Akbar Tandjung told reporters.<\/p>\n
\"The party has the power to withdraw its cadres,\" Dimyati
\nHartono, chairman of PDI Perjuangan faction in the House, told
\nThe Jakarta Post separately.<\/p>\n
Golkar and PDI Perjuangan each lost a representative in the
\nCabinet in the latest Cabinet shakeup announced by President
\nAbdurrahman Wahid on Monday. Laksamana Sukardi lost his job as
\nState Minister of Investment and State Enterprises and Yusuf
\nKalla was dismissed as Minister of Trade and Industry.<\/p>\n
When the Cabinet was formed in October, each of the 35
\nministers was sponsored by one of the country's political
\norganizations, including the Indonesian Military.<\/p>\n
Laksamana was sponsored by PDI Perjuangan chairwoman Megawati
\nSoekarnoputri and Kalla was sponsored by Akbar.<\/p>\n
In contrast, their successors, respectively Rozy Munir and Lt.
\nGen. Luhut Panjaitan, are known to be close to the President.<\/p>\n
Rozy served as secretary to Laksamana while Luhut is currently
\nambassador to Singapore. Like all military officers appointed to
\nthe Cabinet, Luhut is expected to retire from active service.<\/p>\n
Abdurrahman, who will swear-in the two new ministers on
\nWednesday, has said that the reshuffle was needed to ensure
\ngreater harmony and synergy among his economic team.<\/p>\n
Akbar and Dimyati, however, demanded further explanation for
\nthe reshuffle and plan to press the issue when the President
\nmeets with the House's leadership on Thursday for a scheduled
\nconsultation.<\/p>\n
Admitting that the President had the constitutional
\nprerogative to replace his ministers, Dimyati said it was still
\nunethical for him to have done so without consulting their
\npolitical affiliations.<\/p>\n
The reason given -- that the two ministers could not work in
\nthe economic team -- was not strong enough to replace them, he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
\"It's the president's job to make the ministers work as a
\nsolid team,\" Dimyati said.<\/p>\n
Akbar also blamed the president for the poor coordination
\namong Cabinet ministers.<\/p>\n
With the loss of Laksamana, PDI Perjuangan is now represented
\nby Kwik Kian Gie, who is Coordinating Minister for Economy,
\nFinance and Industry and M. Prakosa, the minister of agriculture.
\nGolkar has three remaining representatives including Minister of
\nManpower Bomer Pasaribu.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, hundreds of students from various universities
\nstaged street protests against the President's decision to
\ndismiss Kalla, who hails from Makassar.<\/p>\n
Two groups of demonstrators, gathering in front of the
\nUniversitas 45 Makassar and in front of the provincial
\nlegislative council building on Jl. Urip Sumohardjo, criticized
\nPresident Abdurrahman Wahid who they said had arbitrarily sacked
\nKalla.<\/p>\n
\"Without strong reasons, the dismissal of Kalla is a
\ndisgrace,\" said Abdul Wahab, one of the protesters. Like other
\nprotesters, Wahab, who is a Golkar activist, said the President's
\ndecision hurt the people of Makassar.<\/p>\n
The students expressed their anger by blocking two
\nthoroughfares and setting fire to old tires.<\/p>\n
The Makassar students also lamented the dismissal of State
\nMinister of Investment and State Enterprises Development
\nLaksamana Sukardi.<\/p>\n
\"Everybody knows these two have performed well,\" Ahmad Jaiz,
\nanother protester said. \"There are other ministers who are worse
\nthan them.\"<\/p>\n
\"The President just wants people with high loyalty, instead of
\nthose with high quality. This is very dangerous,\" said Mujahidin,
\nthe official spokesman for the students.<\/p>\n
In Bali, several intellectuals said they were puzzled at the
\nPresident's decision to dismiss Laksamana.<\/p>\n
\"I have no idea why Gus Dur dismissed Laksamana. Why was an
\nhonest and credible minister like him axed?\" Dewa Gede Palguna,
\nan international law lecturer at the Udayana University asked.<\/p>\n
Palguna, who is an MPR member representing the regional
\nfaction, said Laksamana had a strong reputation.<\/p>\n
\"He has a very good image among foreign investors,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Denpasar-based sociologist Putu Suasta said Abdurrahman's
\ncabinet needed more credible, capable and honest persons like
\nLaksamana. \"Yet he (the President) dismisses credible ministers.\"<\/p>\n
Suasta said he was surprised that PDI Perjuangan did not try
\nto prevent Laksamana's dismissal from the Cabinet. \"Why was there
\nno resistance at all?\" he asked. (27\/zen\/sur\/jun)<\/p>",
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