Speculation continues over ministers' names<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Who could they be? This question buzzed around
\nthe capital on Monday following President Abdurrahman Wahid's
\nannouncement that he was preparing to replace three Cabinet
\nmembers following new allegations of corruption.<\/p>\n
Although the President has indicated the imminent shuffle on
\ntwo occasions during his recent visit to the United States, he
\nhas yet to publicly disclose the names of the three ministers.<\/p>\n
He is due to return home on Tuesday evening after an overnight
\nstopover in Japan.<\/p>\n
Even House Speaker Akbar Tandjung, one of four top politicians
\nconsulted last month by Abdurrahman about the Cabinet's
\nformation, appeared to have been kept in the dark.<\/p>\n
"I have not heard who these ministers are, but they should be
\ngiven the due process of law, which will substantiate whether or
\nnot they were involved in corruption, collusion and nepotism,"
\nAkbar said.<\/p>\n
He appealed to the public, and the media in particular, to
\nuphold the principle of presumption of innocence.<\/p>\n
"If there is evidence or strong proof, then their names can be
\nmade public, otherwise it could have a psychological impact on
\nthem, and affect the performance of the Cabinet."<\/p>\n
Akbar, who is also chairman of the Golkar Party, agreed that
\nthe ministers' names should not be made public while the attorney
\ngeneral conducted the investigation.<\/p>\n
He said he was unsure if the alleged corruption occurred
\nbefore or after the ministers were sworn in to office.<\/p>\n
Akbar said if the alleged corruption was committed before the
\nministers were installed, then they should not have been selected
\nin the first place, especially given the fact that the President
\nhad stated that his ministers had been selected because they
\nwere clean, honest, trustworthy and not known for their
\nextravagance.<\/p>\n
Attorney General Marzuki Darusman is one of the few persons in
\nJakarta who has been informed of the names of the four ministers.
\nHe confirmed to reporters over the weekend that he had instigated
\npreliminary investigations as ordered by the President.<\/p>\n
While declining to reveal their identities, Marzuki hinted
\nthat the ministers' names were the ones most speculated about in
\nthe media.<\/p>\n
Two names that cropped up frequently in the rumor mills on
\nMonday were those of Minister of Manpower Bomer Pasaribu and
\nCoordinating Minister of People's Welfare and Poverty Eradication
\nHamzah Haz.<\/p>\n
Akbar denied that he had recommended Bomer's name to
\nAbdurrahman, but recalled that when the Cabinet was being put
\ntogether the five members of the selection committee were at a
\nloss as to whom to appoint to the Ministry of Manpower.<\/p>\n
Hamzah said on Monday that if his name was one of the three
\nnames drawing speculation in the media, he was ready to face
\ninvestigation by the Attorney General's Office.<\/p>\n
Hamzah said however that he had not received a summons for
\nsuch an investigation.<\/p>\n
The chairman of the Islamist United Development Party (PPP)
\nhas been linked to the Bank Bali scandal, an accusation which he
\ndenied once again on Monday.<\/p>\n
He said that the accusation was a slander and was politically
\nmotivated to discredit his name and his political party.<\/p>\n
The new Cabinet, sworn in on Oct. 29, was formed as a
\n"compromise" between the country's major political forces,
\nincluding the Indonesian Military (TNI).<\/p>\n
When announcing the Cabinet line-up, Abdurrahman said that
\neach Cabinet member had been proposed by one of the five national
\nleaders involved in the selection.<\/p>\n
The selection team comprised Abdurrahman representing the
\nNational Awakening Party (PKB), Gen. Wiranto representing
\nTNI\/National Police, Megawati Soekarnoputri for the Indonesian
\nDemocratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), Akbar for the
\nGolkar Party and Amien Rais of the National Mandate Party (PAN)
\nand the Islamist "axis force".<\/p>\n
The 35 Cabinet members have also been ordered to declare their
\nwealth, but their reports have not been made public.<\/p>\n
Observers meanwhile lauded the President's drive to uphold the
\nintegrity and credibility of his Cabinet, although some were
\npuzzled at the President's reticence to identify the ministers in
\nquestion.<\/p>\n
"President Abdurrahman has a strong sense of politics. His
\ngoal to restore the government's image and credibility before the
\npublic is real," said Satjipto Rahardjo of the Diponegoro
\nUniversity in Semarang.<\/p>\n
Slamet Effendi Yusuf, a legislator from the Golkar Party, said
\nthat in keeping with the spirit of transparency, the President
\nshould reveal the names of the suspects, suspend them from the
\nCabinet, and replace them if they were found guilty.
\n(rms\/emf\/har\/emb)<\/p>",
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