Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia - The resignation of state officials in quick\nsuccession has occurred before in Indonesia\u2019s history. Indonesia once\nexperienced resignations involving not just one or two officials, but\noccurring simultaneously and involving 14 ministers, the majority from\nthe economic field.<\/p>\n
The event took place on 20 May 1998 amid a monetary crisis that\ndevastated the foundations of the national economy. The rupiah exchange\nrate collapsed, inflation soared, the banking sector was reeling, and\npublic trust in the government was nearly exhausted. On that day,\nCoordinating Minister for Economic, Financial, and Industrial Affairs\nGinandjar Kartasasmita chaired a meeting of economic ministers at the\nBappenas building in Jakarta.<\/p>\n
The meeting was not a routine gathering. In the book Managing\nIndonesia\u2019s Transformation (2013), Ginandjar recounted that the\ndiscussion was a continuation of intensive conversations since the\nmorning with ministers, journalists, and business actors. Everyone was\ndiscussing the same thing: Indonesia was moving towards the brink of\neconomic and political crisis without a roadmap for escape.<\/p>\n
At the Bappenas forum, Ginandjar laid out the national economic\ncondition in stark terms. His conclusion was firm. If left unchecked,\nIndonesia had the potential to collapse. That view was shared by nearly\nall the ministers present. Only one expressed objection, namely State\nMinister for Agrarian Affairs\/Head of the National Land Agency Ary\nMardjono.<\/p>\n
From that collective awareness, a major decision was taken. Ginandjar\nannounced his intention to resign from the Seventh Development Cabinet,\nwhich had only been inaugurated by President Soeharto four days earlier.\nBut the decision did not stand alone. One by one, other ministers\ndeclared a similar stance.<\/p>\n
That day, 14 ministers agreed to withdraw. They were Akbar Tandjung,\nA.M. Hendropriyono, Giri Suseno Hadihardjono, Haryanto Dhanutirto,\nGinandjar Kartasasmita, Kuntoro Mangkusubroto, Justika Baharsjah,\nRachmadil Bambang Sumadhijo, Rahardi Ramelan, Subiakto Tjarawerdaya,\nSanyoto Sastrowardoyo, Sumahadi, Theo L. Sambuaga, and Tanri Abeng.<\/p>\n
In a joint statement, they said the formation of a new cabinet would\nnot resolve the root of the crisis. The statement was a heavy blow to\nSoeharto, not only administratively but also symbolically. It showed\nthat the economic elite\u2019s confidence in his leadership had\ncollapsed.<\/p>\n
Historian Robert Edward Elson, in Soeharto: A Political Biography\n(2017), noted that Soeharto was shocked and devastated. The ministers\u2019\nmove was outside the power scenario he had constructed. Soeharto had\nstill been planning to announce a Reform Cabinet on 21 May 1998 as an\neffort to salvage his legitimacy.<\/p>\n
Efforts to stem the tide of resignations were made. Vice President BJ\nHabibie, in Detik-detik yang Menentukan (2006), revealed that he had\nasked the ministers to stay on. But the decision was already final.<\/p>\n
Having lost the support of key ministers and the political elite,\nSoeharto ultimately chose to end his rule. On 21 May 1998, a day after\nthe mass resignation, Soeharto announced his resignation as President of\nthe Republic of Indonesia.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/when-14-indonesian-economic-ministers-resigned-together-heres-why-1786791064", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }