Australian analyst hails first minister proposal

YOGYAKARTA (JP): An Australian political observer, Herbert Feith, welcomed the idea voiced by the Supreme Advisory Council (DPA) on appointing a first minister to help President Abdurrahman Wahid improve the performance of his Cabinet.

Feith, of Monash University, who is a visiting lecturer at Gadjah Mada University, said on Friday that the idea was a sound one, but Vice President Megawati Soekarnoputri's approval would be imperative.

"I am also of the opinion that the current Cabinet is stagnating. That's why a technocrat in a new post is needed to help the President," he told reporters at a one-day seminar on U.S.-Indonesian Educational Exchange in Promoting Democracy, here.

Feith warned, however, that the first minister's jobs must not overlap with that of the Vice President.

"Of course, I don't have the ability to mention the first minister's duties in detail. The point is that the idea of appointing a first minister is a good one. President Abdurrahman needs help."

It was Achmad Tirto Sudiro, DPA chairman, who expressed the need for a first minister to help Gus Dur (nickname for the President) improve his cabinet's performance.

According to Feith, the first minister could act like a coordinating minister on the grounds that two of the three coordinating ministers do not function well currently.

"The coordinating ministry has been too passive. The coordinating minister for politics and security affairs (Wiranto) has just resigned. I don't think Surjadi Soedirdja (the acting substitute for Wiranto) can function any better than Wiranto," he said. "I don't have the capacity to judge the performance of the coordinating minister for economy and industry Kwik Kian Gie.

"Besides being capable in political management, the first minister must be one who knows President Abdurrahman very well and can interpret the President's policies precisely," Feith said.

According to him, there are two figures, Marsilam Simanjuntak and Sarwono Kusumaatmadja, who fit the criteria for the first ministerial job.

"Marsilam knows Abdurrahman very well, while Sarwono has a lot of experience."

Feith said, however, that Marsilam was more preferable, saying that Marsilam had a strong personality.

"Marsilam is not only very close to Abdurrahman, but he is also a very strong critic of him. He (Marsilam) once got angry with Gus Dur when Gus Dur approached Mbak Tutut," he said, referring to Siti Hardijanti Rukmana, former president Soeharto's eldest daughter.

Also in Yogyakarta, Azumardi Azra, rector of the Syarif Hidayatullah state-owned Institute of Islamic Studies, has expressed his pessimism over a first minister appointment.

"Any efforts to help the President improve the performance of his current Cabinet would be useless unless a major reshuffle was made," he said on Thursday.

"The premier must be a problem solver, not a solidarity maker," he said. "We already have Gus Dur and Megawati who are both solidarity makers."

The only way to improve the Cabinet's performance would be a Cabinet reshuffle before the coming People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) in August. (44/sur)