Dorodjatun denies resignation rumor

Dorodjatun denies resignation rumor

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Coordinating Minister for the Economy Dorodjatun Kuntjoro-Jakti
denied on Wednesday rumors which suggested that he had tendered
his resignation to President Megawati Soekarnoputri.

"No, I didn't write that (letter of resignation)," Dorodjatun
told The Jakarta Post by telephone here upon his return from Aceh
Wednesday night.

Rumors spread in the capital on Tuesday night about an
impending resignation by Dorodjatun amidst speculations that he
was not happy with the progress that the Cabinet was making.

Other speculation focused on general disillusionment among
members of his economic team, which was widely dubbed the "dream
team" when it was formed by Megawati in August.

The performance of the economic team led by Dorodjatun came
under close scrutiny during the assessment of Megawati's first
100 days in office which fell on Nov. 1.

Dorodjatun said there was no reason whatsoever for him to
resign, considering the current condition of the economy which
required proper handling on every front.

He added however, that any normal person would feel
intimidated by the massive economic challenge that Indonesia was
facing.

"But don't forget, we have achieved a lot these last three
months in terms of strategic measures to put the economy back on
the recovery track," he said, citing as an example the
government's decision to renew its contract with the
International Monetary Fund (IMF) beyond 2002.

Rumors of his resignation began to circulate when the
coordinating minister chose to fly to Banda Aceh to attend a
military ceremony rather than a meeting with the International
Monetary Fund in Jakarta on Tuesday.

"I left the meeting (with the IMF) because my presence in Aceh
was also crucial," he said as quoted by Antara from Aceh earlier
in the day.