Australian analyst hails first minister proposal

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)