Democrats, Golkar at odds over reshuffle

Democrats, Golkar at odds over reshuffle

Ridwan Max Sijabat and Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta

The Democrat Party and the Golkar Party, both main supporters of
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Vice President Jusuf
Kalla, seem to be at loggerheads over a Cabinet reshuffle that
many pundits have been demanding to improve what they say is the
government's poor performance.

The minority Democrat Party is calling on the President to
replace all poorly performing ministers, and is seeking two more
ministerial posts.

Golkar, which finished first in the legislative election last
year, has recommended some swapping of portfolios, but insists
that a reshuffle should be the last resort.

However, the Democrat Party's deputy leader Achmad Mubarok
said Susilo, who is the party's chief patron, needed to reshuffle
the Cabinet to save his government.

"We are the main supporter of SBY and, therefore, we deserve
two more seats in the Cabinet," Mubarok said during a discussion
to evaluate Susilo's performance during his first year in office
on Friday.

Minister of Culture and Tourism Jero Wacik and State Minister
of Administrative Reform Taufik Effendi are the only
representatives of the party in the Cabinet.

Mabarok recalled the chaos surrounding the selection of
ministers last year, which he said had contributed to the
government's perceived poor performance.

Some survey institutes have suggested a Cabinet reshuffle,
especially of economics ministers, saying that these ministers
had failed to address the country's economic difficulties.

Deputy Golkar chairman Burhanuddin Napitupulu insisted,
however, that a Cabinet reshuffle would not solve the problem.

"A Cabinet reshuffle must be carried out as the last resort. As
the principal supporter of the government, Golkar deserves more
seats in the Cabinet if there is to be a reshuffle," he said.

He defended the work of Susilo's economics team and the
government's decision to raise fuel prices by an average of 126
percent on Oct. 1.

The President has said there will be no Cabinet reshuffle until he
finishes reading the progress reports submitted by his aides. But
a source within the presidential office said Susilo would drop
three ministers, including Minister of Finance Jusuf Anwar.

Jusuf quickly denied the report.

"It's not true. I don't know where these rumors came from. I
am still performing my state duties and always do my best," Jusuf
told reporters before leaving a breaking-of-the-fast gathering
hosted by Regional Representatives Council Speaker Ginandjar
Kartasasmita, which Susilo also attended.

"It's up to the President. I've always to be prepared mentally
for dismissal."

Jusuf said he enjoyed the full support of all the officials in
his ministry.

"But I don't think it's possible to clean all the dirty plates
in a year. It's impossible," he said.

Deputy secretary-general of the National Awakening Party
(PKB), Zannuba Arifah Chafsoh Rachman, criticized Golkar and the
Democrat Party for showing that they would do anything to gain
power.

"The President should replace incompetent ministers with
professionals who are accepted by the public and the markets. The
parties supporting the government should be concerned with the
people's suffering," she said.

Political analyst J. Kristiadi from the Centre for Strategic and
International Studies (CSIS) said inadequate political support
from the House of Representatives had contributed to the
government's problems.

"Susilo cannot effectively implement his policies because he
is supported by only 33 percent of House members, and this is an
unavoidable consequence of his nomination by a minority party,"
he said.

Kristiadi suggested that all sides, and the opposition bloc in
particular, exercise patience and allow the government to work to
the fullest during its remaining four years for the sake of the
nation.