Cabinet urged to solve Maluku conflict
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)