Gus Dur, Megawati meet to draft new Cabinet

Gus Dur, Megawati meet to draft new Cabinet

JAKARTA (JP): President Abdurrahman Wahid, Vice President
Megawati Soekarnoputri and three ministers tasked to draft the
makeup of the new Cabinet met on Sunday.

There were no clues about the results of the meeting, however,
from either Abdurrahman or Megawati, who later in the day
attended a dinner hosted by Minister of Foreign Affairs Alwi
Shihab.

"Just wait for the official announcement," Abdurrahman, better
known as Gus Dur, told reporters as he walked to his waiting car
after the dinner.

House of Representatives Speaker Akbar Tandjung and Deputy
Speakers of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) Matori Abdul
Djalil and Husni Thamrin were also present at the gathering. MPR
Speaker Amien Rais failed to attend as he was still in
Yogyakarta.

Alwi, who is also the President's close confidant, said the
meeting on the Cabinet line-up took place at Megawati's official
residence on Jl. Diponegoro, Central Jakarta.

"They met from about 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., but I can tell you
nothing because I haven't heard anything," Alwi said.

It was the first meeting that involved the Vice President
since the President named the three ministers -- Minister of
Mines and Energy Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, State Minister of
Regional Autonomy Ryaas Rasyid and Minister of Settlement and
Territorial Development Erna Witoelar -- on Thursday to draft the
structure of the Cabinet.

The three ministers did not come to the evening gathering
which was held to celebrate the peaceful proceeding of the MPR
Annual Session.

Alwi said his three colleagues were still "doing their
homework".

"There is a possibility that the three could not attend (the
dinner) because of things that need changing regarding the
structure of the Cabinet," Alwi said.

He said the three ministers are expected to complete their
work on Monday, four days before the President is slated to
unveil his new Cabinet.

Abdurrahman has hinted that he would streamline his Cabinet to
a maximum of 25 ministers, compared to the current 35. He said
the final say over the structure and the lineup of the new
Cabinet would remain in his hands.

There have been demands for the President to pick ministers
who have political roots in parties that won substantial votes in
the last election. The President said earlier that 60 percent of
the new Cabinet would consist of professionals, while the
remaining 40 percent would be selected from candidates proposed
by political parties.

Alwi said the gathering at his house was held to express
gratitude that the MPR Annual Session had ended "smoothly".

Abdurrahman's supporters had earlier feared that the session
would be used to unseat the President. Tension between the
Assembly members and the President significantly subsided,
however, after Abdurrahman decided to hand over the technical
day-to-day running of the government to Megawati.

Meanwhile, economist Faisal Basri expected that members of the
new Cabinet, especially the coordinating minister for finance,
industry and trade and the minister of finance could create
harmonized policies.

"The coordinating minister and the finance minister should
also be people who are accepted by markets," Faisal, who is also
deputy chairman of the National Mandate Party (PAN), said in
Semarang, Central Java, on Saturday.

He hoped that the lineup of the new Cabinet would not shake
both domestic and international market players.

On the eligibility of ministerial candidates, Faisal said it
did not matter whether the nominees were linked to political
parties or not, as long as they had clear visions of their
policies, including privatization programs.

"The candidates should not have substantial differences on the
privatization issue," Faisal remarked. (har/dja/byg/jun)