Foreign ministry conducts major reshuffle
Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs marked on Friday its first discernible steps in a major structural revamp by inaugurating 26 second echelon officials, including the appointment of the ministry's first ever official spokesman.
In a modest ceremony, foreign minister Hassan Wirayuda introduced Marty Natalegawa, outgoing director for international organizations, as spokesman.
He will serve directly under the minister and is mandated with the authority to speak on behalf of the minister.
In the past the director of foreign information acted as spokesman for the ministry.
The internal restructuring had been planned for several years. It is designed to improve performance, with greater emphasis and bureaucratic division on geographical areas, which will allow the directorates to be more focused.
The organizational restructuring is not expected to be completed until April, after which the ministry will turn its attention on its representatives offices around the world.
The overall process is due to be completed in June.
"Today's ceremony is part of a major revamp that was necessary due to the changing internal condition of the country following the reform movement in 1998 as well as global developments," Hassan said.
Under the new structure the ministry will have seven directors general, an inspector general, a secretary-general and head of a policy research and development department.
Each directorate general will have four to five directorates.
Two directorates general will be based on geographic responsibility -- Asian, Pacific and African affairs; and Europe and the Americas.
One is to be specifically dedicated to the Association of Southeast Asian (ASEAN).
Two separate directorates general will be created to deal with multilateral affairs -- one for political, social and security affairs; while the other will be for economic, financial and developmental affairs.
There will also be a directorate general charged with information, public diplomacy and international agreements, and another for consular affairs.
No official announcement has been made on who will fill the 10 senior posts, however there is speculation that Permanent Representative to the UN Makmur Widodo, Ambassador to Australia Sujadnan Parnohadiningrat, current Director General for Foreign Economic Relations Makarim Wibisono and incumbent secretary- general Arrizal Effendy are on the short list of candidates.