Cabinet 'will not abandon President'

JAKARTA (JP): Chief political affairs minister Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono insisted on Monday that he and other ministers would not abandon the administration of President Abdurrahman Wahid in times of crisis, and pledged to aid the embattled President to make the right political decisions.

In a statement distributed by his office here on Monday, Susilo said the situation and circumstances now were different to that of the mass resignation of several economics ministers led by Ginandjar Kartasasmita on the eve of President Soeharto's fall.

"I have an attitude and position which is different," Susilo, who is coordinating minister for political, social and security Affairs, said.

"It is better for my friends (fellow ministers) and I to continue helping the President and the Vice President by continually providing recommendations to find a constructive political solution while conducting our respective (ministerial) duties," he said.

"We don't want to leave just like that!"

Susilo, one of the President's key advisors, made his statement in response to comments by a senior National Awakening Party official who warned that the seven ministers providing recommendations following the issuance of the second memorandum of censure could become "Brutuses" or traitors.

Susilo's remarks also come amid speculation that the government is in disarray following Saturday's aborted Cabinet meeting.

The minister said on Monday that he regretted the statement saying that it only aggravated the situation further.

"If the situation really deteriorates then it will be President Abdurrahman himself who suffers," Susilo warned.

Susilo heads a close-knit team which gave several recommendations to the President after the House issued the second censure.

While the specifics of the recommendations have not been made public, some ministers have revealed that they included a possible delegation of executive power to Vice President Megawati Soekarnoputri.

Also among the officials who met with the President to deliver the recommendations were Minister of Defense Mahfud MD, Attorney General Marzuki Darusman, Minister of Foreign Affairs Alwi Shihab, Minister of Justice and Human Rights Baharuddin Lopa and Minister of Settlement and Regional Infrastructure Erna Witoelar.

Susilo said he could understand the criticism against the ministers, arguing that their recommendations would not satisfy everyone.

One example he cited was that the ministers were being blamed for not telling Abdurrahman to resign.

"I really don't understand. During the House plenary session of April 30 as far as I know not a single faction called for Gus Dur's resignation...So why should the minister ask him to resign?"

Susilo then went on to say that if the recommendations were not in line with what the President had in mind, "It should not be perceived as disloyalty or treachery."

He went on to note that in the past he had told Abdurrahman that "in a critical situation" he would provide recommendations which may or may not be to the President's liking.

"What I am doing, and will continue to do, is so that Gus Dur does not make the wrong political decisions.

"The risk is too high if the decision is wrong ... I leave that up to the people to judge whether these tough recommendations are salvation or treachery."

Susilo further revealed that he and his fellow ministers would likely come under more scrutiny as Vice President Megawati had "purportedly" asked them to provide further key recommendations to the President.

Separately in Bandung, West Java, noted Muslim scholar Nurcholish Madjid said the President should respond to the House's censure in a calm and measured manner.

"The memorandum is only a statement ... The problem is Gus Dur panicked," he said in a discussion on Saturday.

According to Nurcholish, one problem was Abdurrahman's inability to differentiate his personal role as a kyai (religious leader) and as President.

Nurcholish noted that the paternalistic and hierarchic kyai style of leadership remained dominant in Abdurrahman's management of government which was in fact unsuitable.

"But to summarily accuse him of being evil is difficult, because he doesn't realize that his ways are erroneous as part of a modern political institution," Nurcholish said. (02/25)