All the President's ministers make for a diverse team
All the President's ministers make for a diverse team
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has good reason to call his
team of ministers the United Indonesia Cabinet, perhaps because
they represent the country's diverse sociopolitical landscape.
Susilo said upon revealing his Cabinet lineup that he had
tried to accommodate the aspirations of his supporters, and
acknowledged he could not satisfy all parties.
Susilo was nominated as a presidential candidate by the
Democratic Party (PD), the Crescent Star Party (PBB) and the
Indonesian Justice and Unity Party (PKPI). In the second round of
the presidential election, the National Awakening Party (PKB),
the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) and the National Mandate Party
(PAN) joined forces to support him. The United Development Party
(PPP) joined late when it abandoned the coalition that was to
form an opposition bloc in the House of Representatives.
To some people, the composition of the Cabinet signals new
hope. But, to others, it simply reflects a power sharing deal
between Susilo and political parties that supported his bid for
the presidency.
Some facts about the Cabinet:
* Total members: 36, four of whom are women (Meutia Hatta, Mari
E. Pangestu, Siti Fadilah Supari, Sri Mulyani Indrawati)
* Old faces: There are five ministers who served in the previous
government of president Megawati Soekarnoputri (Hassan Wirajuda,
Yusril Ihza Mahendra, Purnomo Yusgiantoro, Bachtiar Chamsyah,
Hatta Radjasa), and three under president Abdurrahman Wahid (Alwi
Shihab, Bambang Sudibyo, Juwono Sudarsono).
* Military/Police: Adm. (ret) Widodo A.S., Lt. Gen. (ret) M.
Ma'ruf, Lt. Gen. (ret) Sudi Silalahi, Vice Adm. (ret). Freddy
Numberi, Brig. Gen. (ret) Taufiq Effendi.
* Politicians: Alwi (PKB), Bachtiar Chamsyah (PPP), Hatta (PAN),
Fahmi Idris (ex-Golkar), Bambang Sudibyo (PAN), Suryadharma
(PPP), Saifullah Yusuf (PKB), Yusril (PBB), M.S. Kaban (PBB),
Jero Wacik (PD), Taufiq (PD), Yusuf Asy'ari (PKS), Adhyaksa Dault
(PKS).
* Scholars: Marie E. Pangestu, Meutia Farida Hatta, Anton
Apriyanto, Kusmayanto Kadiman, Fadilah Supari
* Businesspeople: Aburizal Bakrie, Sugiharto
* Youth activist: Adhyaksa Dault
Academic titles:
* Professor: Kusmayanto, Juwono, Yusril, Alwi, and Bambang
* Doctorate holders: Sofyan, Meutia, Kusmayanto, Sri Mulyani,
Anton Apriyanto, Bambang, Juwono, Mari Pangestu, Yusril, Alwi,
Purnomo, Hassan, Hamid Awaluddin, Andung Nitimihardja
* The University of Indonesia contributes the largest number of
ministers to the Cabinet with eight alumni: Sofyan Djalil,
Meutia, Sri Mulyani, Fahmi, Juwono, Sugiharto, Hassan, Yusril.
* Marie E. Pangestu is the only Chinese-Indonesian in the
Cabinet. In terms of ethnicity, Javanese dominate with 12:
Purnomo, Joko Kirmanto, Fadilah, Ma'ruf, Yusuf Asy'ari, Bambang
Sudibyo, Abdul Rahman Saleh, Widodo A.S., Maftuh Basyuni,
Saifullah, Juwono, Sri Mulyani. Sundanese second with five:
Hassan, Jusuf Anwar, Anton, Kusmayanto, Rachmat Witoelar. Jakarta
contributes four ministers: Suryadharma, Aburizal, Marie, Fahmi.
North Sumatra has two: Kaban and Sudi Silalahi. South Sulawesi
has two: Alwi Shihab and Hamid Awaluddin. Nangroe Aceh Darussalam
also has two: Sofyan Djalil and Bachtiar Chamsyah.
* At 65, Maftuh Basyuni is the oldest minister, while Saifullah
is the youngest at 40. Fifteen ministers are aged between 50 and
60 years, 11 ministers are aged between 40 and 49, and 10
ministers are above 60.
* Based on religion, 32 ministers are Muslims, two are Catholics
(Purnomo and Marie), one is Protestant (Freddy Numberi), and one
is Hindu (Jero Wacik).
Comparison between Susilo's and Megawati's Cabinet
===============================================================
No. Items Susilo Megawati
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1. Number of ministers 36 32
2. Number of women 4 2
3. Ex-military 4 4
4. Politicians 13 13
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