Cabinet power in 'group of four'

JAKARTA (JP): President Abdurrahman Wahid said on Tuesday that the decision-making power in the upcoming Cabinet would reside in a "group of four" compromising of the President, Vice President and two coordinating ministers.

"The delegation of works or tasks in implementing the technical daily jobs will be held by the vice president (Megawati Soekarnoputri)," Abdurrahman told a snap media conference at Bina Graha presidential office.

"But, of course every decision made must be consulted between four people, the president, vice president and two coordinating ministers".

Megawati will be assisted by the coordinating minister for economy, finance and industry and coordinating minister for political, security and welfare affairs, Abdurrahman said.

The president's statement implies that there will be only two coordinating ministers in the coming Cabinet, with the coordinating minister for people's welfare and poverty eradication likely to be merged.

"So, the four people will judge everything together. I think it is in this group of four that the power should reside," Abdurrahman added.

Last week, Abdurrahman promised before the People's Consultative Assembly to "reshuffle and restructure" the Cabinet and hand over the day-to-day technicalities of running the government to Megawati.

Lineup

Abdurrahman also revealed on Tuesday that a team of three Cabinet ministers had been tasked to prepare the makeup of the new Cabinet.

The President refused to name them, but said that they would decide on the number of ministers in the Cabinet and would report to him at the end of the Assembly session on Friday.

Minister of Mines and Energy Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, Minister of Regional Autonomy Ryaas Rasyid and Minister of Settlement and Territorial Development Erna Witoelar are rumored to be the three ministers.

"Only after I meet with the team will I consult the Vice President. So there is nothing to worry about because we are not hiding anything," Abdurrahman said.

He admitted that he had met with Megawati, Assembly Speaker Amien Rais, House of Representatives Speaker Akbar Tandjung, chairman of the United Development Party Hamzah Haz and the leaders of small political parties.

He was not specific, however, when asked to disclose whether the meetings discussed the lineup of the new Cabinet.

Later in the day, Amien confirmed he met with the President on Sunday night.

He denied rumors that during the meeting he tried to persuade Abdurrahman to keep finance minister Bambang Sudibyo from being excluded from the Cabinet.

Bambang, who is widely expected to be excluded from the revamped Cabinet, was among several people who had been personally endorsed by Amien when Abdurrahman was forming the Cabinet last year.

Amien said the meeting was only to explain that there was a possibility the Assembly would issue a decree that would instruct the President to issue a detailed presidential decree on the Vice President's new role.

"We only asked the President to give a specific presidential decree so that Ibu Mega can easily work on her new duty," he said, adding that foreign affairs minister Alwi Shihab, Assembly deputy speaker Matori Abdul Djalil and legislator Hatta Radjasa were also present at the meeting.

Meanwhile, former coordinating minister for economy, finance and industry Kwik Kian Gie said if he was reappointed he would only agree to join if he felt the job was within his capability.

"I'll study the offer first. If it's beyond my capability, I don't think I'll be ready," he said.

"If the President reappoints me to a coordinating minister post, I'll have to first know the ministers under my coordination," Kwik added.

Abdurrahman has hinted the next Cabinet would be "smaller", with 60 percent of its members consisting of professionals and the rest from political parties.

In Yogyakarta, political observer Riswandha Imawan echoed this sentiment.

He said the ideal number of Cabinet members would be between 18 to 20.

"There is a basic principle that you never make a big organization when you are in the middle of a crisis," Riswandha said.

It had been expected that the announcement of the new Cabinet would be made on Aug. 21, but sources close to the President said on Tuesday that Abdurrahman would likely delay the announcement by one week as he needed more time to discuss the lineup with Megawati. (byg/dja/nvn/prb/swa)