Sat, 11 Aug 2001

Cabinet urged to solve Maluku conflict

AMBON, Maluku (JP): Governor of Maluku Saleh Latuconsina said in Ambon on Friday that he hoped President Megawati's newly named Cabinet would be able to achieve a comprehensive settlement of the prolonged conflict in the province.

Asked to comment on the fresh Cabinet without any minister coming from Maluku, the governor, concurrently the region's civil emergency administrator, said that the important thing was that the Cabinet must be serious in solving the over-two years of communal clashes in Maluku.

"The handling of the Maluku issue should be one of the Cabinet's main agendas for speedy implementation. Otherwise, the protracted conflict will cause suffering to local people, while the number of displaced people has reached hundreds of thousands," he stressed.

In a separate interview in the Central Java capital of Semarang, Eko Budiharjo, chairman of the Rectors' Forum, told The Jakarta Post that Mega's cabinet was commendable in spite of its shortcomings.

Commenting on the fact that several New Order figures were included in the Cabinet, Eko, who is rector of Semarang's Diponegoro University, said that people should think positively. "Let's work together," he urged.

Nonetheless, he expressed surprise at Matori being appointed defense minister because, in his view, the ousted PKB chief was not suited for this office.

The presence of Matori as minister of defense in the new lineup, also called the Gotong Royong (mutual help) cabinet, invited strong reaction and pessimism among non-government organization circles and civil society forces critical of the Indonesian military (TNI).

The same response came from the National Awakening Party (PKB), to which Matori had originally belonged. "His presence more represents the TNI's political interests. He is in no way delegated by PKB nor by Nahdlatul Ulama (NU)," said deputy secretary-general of the PKB central board, Chatibul Umam Wiranu, in Purwokerto, Central Java.

The PKB, founded by senior NU figures -- including former president Abdurrahman Wahid -- recently dismissed Matori as party central board chairman following his alleged violation of the party's policy by remaining in the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) as vice speaker despite the PKB's withdrawal.

Director of the Institute for Studies of Information and Democracy (INSIDE) Ahmad Rofik, joined in the chorus, saying that Matori's appointment as defense minister reflected military interests.

"In this position Matori will surely build an authoritarian image for Megawati's leadership. His political orientation is solely pragmatic, thus posing a risk to Mega," Rofik pointed out. (49/45/arp)