Cracks emerge in SBY coalition

Cracks emerge in SBY coalition

Tiarma Siboro and M. Taufiqurrahman, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Signs of cracks in the coalition of political parties that
support president-elect Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono are emerging as
they question his choice of several ministerial candidates.

The Muslim-based Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) said on Sunday
it was considering withdrawing its support for Susilo, should the
president-elect press ahead with his appointment of ministerial
candidates whose future policies would lean towards the
International Monetary Fund (IMF) and other figures who were
implicated in legal problems.

Susilo, however, defended his stance, saying he had checked
with watchdog institutions and found the candidates were
eligible. No one should "dent their chances of becoming
ministers", he said.

The president-elect continued his one-on-one interviews with
prospective aides at his residence in the Puri Cikeas Indah
housing complex in Bogor later in the day. EE Mangindaan, of the
Democratic Party that Susilo cofounded, Suryadarma Ali, of the
United Development Party and Anggito Abimanyu, who chairs the
Agency for Economic Analysis and International Cooperation
(Bapekti), turned up for the interviews that started at about
8:30 p.m.

Former Indonesian ambassador to Russia Rachmat Witoelar also
appeared at Susilo's residence but was tightlipped as he rushed
to his waiting car.

PKS acting chairman Tiffatul Sembiring said Susilo should drop
candidates who were mired in financial and legal problems.

"If our warnings fall on deaf ears, we will evaluate our
presence in the coalition," Tiffatul said. The PKS had also been
flooded with demands to reject pro-IMF candidates from its
members, non-governmental organizations and concerned
individuals, Tiffatul said.

Economist Mari Elka Pangestu and Sri Mulyani Indrawati, who
currently serves as the IMF executive director for Southeast
Asia, are two candidates for the position. While Mari was
interviewed on Saturday, a source said an interview with Sri
Mulyani was being arranged.

Echoing the PKS, the executive board of the Crescent Star
Party (PBB) said it was considering abandoning the coalition but
for a different reason.

PBB deputy chairman Sahar L. Hasan said Susilo had not done
justice to the party, which had supported him all along.

Sahar also said the appointment of ministers with professional
backgrounds might not be a good idea. "Those who are considered
professional may not have a managerial capability. They even
could have contributed to wrecking the country," he said.

The PBB is led by Yusril Ihza Mahendra, who currently serves
as Minister for Justice and Human Rights.

Susilo dismissed fears his Cabinet would be influenced by the
IMF, saying that Indonesia had severed ties with the
international donor in regards to the Letter of Intent that had
spelled out the country's agreement to carry out IMF-prescribed
economic recovery programs.

He also said he had checked with the Enterprise Assets
Management, which is to take over the unfinished jobs of the now-
defunct Indonesian Bank Restructuring Agency, over allegations
some of his candidates were blacklisted.

"As I have found out these rumors are not true, no one should
forbid me from appointing them as my ministers," Susilo said.

He said he would reserve high-ranking government posts for
political parties, whose members might not secure ministerial
jobs.

"Believe me, I will remember the parties' contributions to my
success and I will grant their members appropriate posts which,
of course, should not be in my Cabinet," Susilo said.