Susilo asks President of his duties in Cabinet<\/p>\n
Tiarma Siboro and Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post,
\nJakarta<\/p>\n
Top security minister Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said on Tuesday
\nhe had sent a letter to President Megawati Soekarnoputri seeking
\nclarification over his role in the Cabinet.<\/p>\n
In the letter delivered to the President earlier in the day,
\nSusilo questioned his function as coordinating minister of
\npolitical and security affairs because \"it seems to me that Ibu
\nhas already made her own policies on such issues, which should,
\nof course, be adjusted with my authority\".<\/p>\n
This was the culmination of weeks of tension between Susilo
\nand the President.<\/p>\n
Susilo said he expected Megawati would respond to the letter
\nimmediately, adding that he was waiting for an appropriate time
\nto meet with the President to discuss their differences.<\/p>\n
\"I left it up to the President to decide,\" he said on the
\nsidelines of a ceremony to commemorate the 43th anniversary of
\nthe Army's Strategic Reserves Command (Kostrad) in Central
\nJakarta.<\/p>\n
The retired four-star general, who graduated in 1973 from the
\nMilitary Academy, is a former Kostrad member.<\/p>\n
There has been a great deal of speculation recently that
\nSusilo would resign from the Cabinet, following his complaint to
\nMegawati about not being invited to several important meetings at
\nthe State Palace and the President's official residence on Jl.
\nTeuku Umar in Central Jakarta.<\/p>\n
One meeting that Susilo was not included in two weeks ago was
\nheld to discuss preparations for the general election. The
\nmeeting was a precursor to visits to several provinces by
\nsecurity authorities to monitor preparation for the elections.
\nThe provinces included Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam, where the
\nmilitary is waging a campaign to crush the separatist Free Aceh
\nMovement.<\/p>\n
Earlier this month, the President's husband, Taufik Kiemas,
\ncalled Susilo childish for discussing with the media what he
\nperceived as his being ostracized from the Cabinet. Taufik, who
\nis also a leader of Megawati's Indonesian Democratic Party of
\nStruggle (PDI-P), said Susilo should have come to the President
\nfirst before talking to the media.<\/p>\n
Signs of disquiet first appeared last September when Susilo
\nheld an informal meeting with former president B.J. Habibie in
\nGermany on his way to the United States to attend an
\nantiterrorism summit.<\/p>\n
Susilo's regular appearance in TV spots appealing for a
\npeaceful election in his capacity as the top security minister
\nhas only added to the tension between him and Megawati.<\/p>\n
Observers say Susilo clearly has presidential ambitions. Many
\nbelieve he could be one of the strongest contenders in the
\npresidential election. Susilo has been proposed as a presidential
\ncandidate by the Democratic Party, the party he founded.<\/p>\n
Susilo was reluctant to say that his letter to the President
\namounted to a resignation, but promised to clarify the matter on
\nWednesday after a meeting with U.S. Homeland Security Secretary
\nThomas Ridge.<\/p>\n
Megawati refused to discuss the possible resignation of her
\ncoordinating minister for political and security affairs, saying
\nthe minister was free to take whatever step he thought necessary,
\naccording to PDI-P deputy secretary-general Pramono Anung.<\/p>\n
\"We did not discuss it, but the President said it is up to him
\n(Susilo) to decide,\" Pramono said following the party's weekly
\nmeeting led by Megawati.<\/p>\n
Pramono said that as of Tuesday afternoon, Megawati had not
\nreceived Susilo's letter.<\/p>\n
A presidential staff member told The Jakarta Post the letter
\nmight have gone straight to the President through one of her
\nadjutants, since no members of the presidential secretariat,
\nstate secretariat or the staff at Megawati's residence had
\nreceived the letter.<\/p>\n
\"Maybe one of the adjutants gave the letter to the President,\"
\nthe staff member said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/susilo-asks-president-of-his-duties-in-cabinet-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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