Susilo replaced in hasty reshuffle<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): President Abdurrahman Wahid added further
\nsuspense to the unfolding political drama by catching everyone by
\nsurprise on Friday with his announcement of a Cabinet reshuffle
\nwhich included the replacement of his top political and security
\nminister.<\/p>\n
The reshuffle was not so much a case of ushering new faces
\ninto the Cabinet as one of musical chairs, as three of the five
\nnew appointments were those of people already serving in his
\nadministration.<\/p>\n
What significance the reshuffle has remains to be seen as the
\nPresident is due to face a special session of the People's
\nConsultative Assembly in less than 60 days which could spell the
\nend of his government.<\/p>\n
The most critical change was the appointment of Minister of
\nCommunications Agum Gumelar to replace Coordinating Minister for
\nPolitical, Social and Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono,
\nwho just days earlier had been handed a specific executive order
\nto ensure security in anticipation of potential unrest as a
\nresult of the political impasse.<\/p>\n
Many fear the sudden reshuffle could be the precursor of
\nfurther drastic steps that the President has threatened to take.<\/p>\n
Another noteworthy change was the appointment of Minister of
\nJustice and Human Rights Baharuddin Lopa to replace Attorney
\nGeneral Marzuki Darusman.<\/p>\n
The replacement of Marzuki also came as a shock to many as on
\nthe eve of the House of Representatives vote to call for a
\nspecial session, the Attorney General's Office cleared
\nAbdurrahman of involvement in the two economic scandals which
\nbecame the catalysts for the House's censure process.<\/p>\n
In the government announcement read by presidential spokesman
\nYahya C. Staquf on Friday afternoon, Susilo, Agum, Baharuddin,
\nand Marzuki, along with Minister of Maritime Affairs Sarwono
\nKusumaatmadja and Junior Minister for National Economic
\nReconstruction Restructuring Cacuk Sudarijanto were also
\ndismissed.<\/p>\n
Apart from Baharuddin and Agum, the new appointments were
\nCabinet Secretary Marsilam Simanjuntak as Minister of Justice and
\nHuman Rights, and two lesser known figures, namely Rokhmin Dahuri
\nas Minister of Maritime Affairs and Budi Mulyawan Suyitno as
\nMinister of Communications.<\/p>\n
Rokhmin, 42, is known as an academic who specializes in
\nmaritime affairs and currently holds a senior post in the
\nministry.<\/p>\n
Budi is presently secretary of the Training and Education
\nCenter of the Ministry of Communications. He is also an executive
\nof the Indonesian Association of Engineers.<\/p>\n
It is unclear whether Marsilam will continue to double as
\nCabinet Secretary but the replacement of Marzuki, a key Golkar
\ncadre, suggests that a follow-up announcement may be in the
\noffing.<\/p>\n
Sources have said that a minister known to be the President's
\nclose confidant may take over Marsilam's current post, leaving
\nthe portfolio open for Marzuki to fill.<\/p>\n
Controversy over the reshuffle is expected to persist since
\nAbdurrahman has, apparently, also decided to replace National
\nPolice chief Gen. Surojo Bimantoro.<\/p>\n
Bimantoro, however, has refused to step down arguing that any
\nmove to fire him must adhere to the prevailing regulations which
\nstipulate that such a change must be approved by the House.<\/p>\n
Tragic<\/p>\n
Susilo's replacement is seen by many as nothing short of
\ntragic.<\/p>\n
It was Susilo over the past weeks who tirelessly led a team of
\nministers tasked with finding a political compromise in respect
\nof the impasse between Abdurrahman and Vice President Megawati
\nSoekarnoputri,<\/p>\n
Susilo has also been in the spotlight since Monday after he
\nwas handed an executive order to maintain security which
\npotentially could allow him to wield wide-ranging authority were
\na sudden state of emergency to be declared.<\/p>\n
Susilo, who was previously Minister of Mines and Energy, took
\nup his coordinating post in August.<\/p>\n
He took up his first Cabinet post with some reluctance as a
\nregulation demanded that he resign from active military service
\nupon accepting a civilian appointment. He eventually resigned in
\nOctober 1999 and was promoted to general.<\/p>\n
Speaking to journalists before the official announcement of
\nhis replacement, a clearly somber Susilo said he had been told by
\nthe President that he was being replaced because of popular
\ndemand, and to improve the relationship between Abdurrahman and
\nMegawati.<\/p>\n
\"This morning at 10 a.m. the President decided to dismiss and
\nreplace me ... I am loyal to the President and I will accept this
\ndecision,\" he added.<\/p>\n
Susilo revealed that he had turned down an offer as home
\naffairs minister or communications minister.<\/p>\n
Abdurrahman later in the evening did not hide his reasons for
\nappointing Agum to the pivotal post: \"I want someone who can
\nfoster ties with Megawati.\"<\/p>\n
\"Agum Gumelar will be the perfect man to maintain good ties
\nbetween the two of us,\" Abdurrahman said in a nationally
\ntelevised interview.<\/p>\n
Agum, also a retired military man, has a reputation of being
\nclose to Megawati and some in the past have suggested that his
\ninclusion in the cabinet was based on her recommendation.<\/p>\n
But by late Friday there was no official confirmation whether
\nAgum had actually agreed to take on the job.<\/p>\n
Agum visited the Vice President on Friday night at her
\nofficial residence for one hour. No information was forthcoming
\nabout the meeting.<\/p>\n
The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan)'s
\nPramono Anung told The Jakarta Post that Megawati had yet to
\nrespond to the reshuffle.<\/p>\n
Marzuki Darusman at his office appeared to be surprised
\nmoments after the announcement was made at the presidential
\npalace.<\/p>\n
\"I don't know. Where did you get that information?,\" he
\nreplied when asked by reporters.<\/p>\n
The immediate reaction from outside the presidential circle
\nwas one bordering on incredulity.<\/p>\n
House Speaker Akbar Tandjung and Assembly Speaker Amien Rais
\nboth questioned the dismissal of Susilo, whom they both regarded
\nas being someone who had credence in the eyes of the public.<\/p>\n
But the most telling indication of the significance of the
\nreshuffle was hinted at by defense minister Mahfud MD who
\nremarked that if Abdurrahman wanted to impose a state of
\nemergency or dissolve the House to preempt the special session,
\nhe would have to replace his top security people.<\/p>\n
\"The President needs loyalists ... The first people that he
\nshould replace are the Indonesian Military (TNI) chiefs.\"<\/p>\n
\"Afterwards, I guess he should replace his Minister of Home
\nAffairs and Regional Autonomy (Surjadi Soedirdja) and also his
\nMinister of Defense,\" Mahfud told journalists, obliquely
\nindicating his lack of support for a state of emergency. (02\/dja)<\/p>",
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