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 --------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Number of ministers 36 32 2. Number of women 4 2 3. Ex-military 4 4 4. Politicians 13 13 ---------------------------------------------------------------