Experts greet new cabinet with mixed sentiments

JAKARTA (JP): President Soeharto's choice of aides in the new cabinet yesterday prompted mixed sentiments, with some observers optimistic and others expressing doubts over the new cabinets ability to deal with the deepening economic crisis.

Observers Miriam Budiardjo, Muhammad Budhyatna, Sardjono Jatiman, Amien Rais, Adi Sasono, former environment minister Sarwono Kusumaatmadja and university students were among the many people who voiced opinion on the new cabinet.

Miriam Budiardjo, a respected professor of politics at the University of Indonesia, said she was hopeful that the new cabinet would be able to solve the economic crisis. However, her confidence was "not 100 percent".

"It's a crisis of confidence in the economy, the monetary system and the government. While the new ministers have not yet done anything wrong, we must remain confident in their ability," she said.

Budiardjo pins her hopes on "powerful figures" in the cabinet, such as Minister of Social Services Siti Hardiyanti Rukmana.

"These new ministers, we hope they do their utmost to make improve their offices performance," she said.

President Soeharto retained 12 ministers from the previous cabinet and introduced 24 new faces, including his daughter Hardiyanti (better known as Mbak Tutut), one of three females in the new cabinet.

Controversial appointments include business tycoon Mohamad (Bob) Hasan, the new Minister of Industry and Trade, and Tanri Abeng, appointed State Minister for the Empowerment of State Enterprises.

Miriam, who is also a member of the National Commission on Human Rights, said the new government should be given at least "one year" to prove their ability.

"Government wheels always turn slowly, as we know, but if it fails to perform well, we will never see an end to this crisis," she said.

Sarwono and Adi Sasono, secretary-general of the influential Association of Indonesian Moslem Intellectuals (ICMI), were guarded with their opinions.

"I don't want to comment on the new cabinet now, let's just wait and see the response from the public and the market," said Sarwono.

"I am just glad that my successor (Juwono Sudarsono) is a person whose integrity and quality I know well. He is a good person. He is also my cousin," Sarwono said.

Adi said: "I think we have to give the new cabinet an opportunity to solve the monetary crisis and other state problems."

The new ministers must make efforts to provide adequate supplies of basic commodities at affordable prices, he added.

Adi also said that stabilizing the volatile rupiah should be one of the new cabinet's top priorities.

"Recruiting businessmen Mohamad Hasan and Tanri Abeng into the cabinet indicates that the government is trying to mobilize funds from the private sector to compensate for its own limited financial resources.

"Their presence in the cabinet can be expected to restore popular confidence in the government," he added.

University of Indonesia's sociologist Sardjono Jatiman said that the new ministers should receive criticism openly and strive to uphold the law.

"People are becoming more critical of bad policies. Ministers must have the courage to accept criticism," Antara quoted him as saying Saturday.

The new ministers should have the courage to refuse to engage in any maneuvers which run counter to the law and to reject pressure from powerful figures, he said.

Budhyatna, also of the University of Indonesia, shared Sardjono's opinion. He said the new cabinet ministers must win back popular confidence by clamping down on collusive practices, corruption, nepotism and monopolies.

"We already have an anti-corruption law, the next step will be to enforce it so that we can eradicate corruption," he said.

Doubt

Moslem leader Amien Rais was cautious over the new cabinet. The chairman of the 28 million-strong Muhammadiyah Moslem organization said people should be neither pessimistic or optimistic.

"We need not to be too optimistic because the new cabinet's political bearing is no better than their predecessors," he told reporters in Bandung, West Java, yesterday.

Amien pointed to the appointment of Hardiyanti, saying: "How can it be that the father is the president, while the daughter is a cabinet minister? That is a very clear sign of nepotism."

"There are thousands of capable people. Tutut...is not extraordinary," he added. "She can dream about inheriting the presidency after five years, but that is impossible. It will never happen."

He pointed out that the appointment of Bob Hasan, Soeharto's golfing and fishing companion and a trusted business advisor, will only lead people to believe that collusive practices will continue to flourish in the country.

Meanwhile, hundreds of students of Gadjah Mada University in Yogyakarta and the Soedirman University in Purwokerto, Central Java, protested the new cabinet line up in separate demonstrations Saturday.

In Jakarta, University of Indonesia students said yesterday that they would set up a "Commission for the Assessment of the Cabinet's Performance" and monitor the new cabinet's performance.

In a statement made available to the press yesterday, the students reminded that they had been demanding for a new cabinet who was ready and willing to launch reform. They also demanded only credible, honest people be chosen for the cabinet.

"In order to make sure that our demands be met, we have set up the commission (to monitor the cabinet)," the students said. (45/43/23/byg/imn/aan)