Gus Dur picks 26-member Cabinet

Gus Dur picks 26-member Cabinet

JAKARTA (JP): President Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid announced
the formation of his new Cabinet on Wednesday, streamlining it
from 35 to 26 members, and opting for fewer politicians than the
previous Cabinet.

Gus Dur retained 18 people and recruited eight fresh faces
into the Cabinet, which was formed after days of negotiations
with Vice President Megawati Soekarnoputri.

None of the key Cabinet posts, however, went to Megawati's
Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), the
country's largest political party, raising speculation of a rift
between the President and Vice President.

Totally left out of the Cabinet is the Golkar Party, the
second largest, which had warned of tough times for the President
in passing his legislative agenda if it was excluded.

In contrast, smaller parties, including Abdurrahman's own
National Awakening Party (PKB), are represented.

The new Cabinet comprises two coordinating ministers, 16
ministers heading departments, five state ministers and three
junior ministers.

Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, a "reformist" retired Army
lieutenant general, was promoted to coordinating minister for
political affairs, welfare and security, from minister of mines
and energy.

Rizal Ramli, an economist and chairman of the State Logistics
Agency (Bulog), was the surprise choice to head the new economic
team. He was selected as coordinating minister for the economy in
preference over two other widely touted candidates, the incumbent
Kwik Kian Gie of PDI Perjuangan, and Indonesia's ambassador to
the United States, Dorodjatun Kuntorodjakti.

The President also announced that the attorney general, like
the Indonesian Military (TNI) chief, would no longer be part of
the Cabinet. That job is retained by Marzuki Darusman.

The Cabinet shake up was a concession the President gave after
the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) this month criticized
the performance of his first 10 months in office.

The President has also promised to delegate the day-to-day
tasks of running the government to Megawati. A decree on this new
arrangement has already been signed but not formally presented to
the Vice President.

One of the biggest surprises in the new Cabinet was the
appointment of Prijadi Praptosuhardjo, a banker by training, as
minister of finance, in spite of having failed the fit-and-proper
test by Bank Indonesia (the central bank) this year for the job
of heading state Bank Rakyat Indonesia (BRI).

That test looks into the character and past records of
candidates to lead government banks.

Gus Dur personally vouched for his selection. "I know Prijadi
very well. I have observed him for 16 years," he said after
Cabinet Secretary Marsilam Simanjuntak read out the line up of
the Cabinet at Merdeka Palace.

On the exclusion of Kwik, who was Megawati's choice to head
the economic team, he said: "We cannot accommodate everyone. But
in good time, we will give him a respectable place."

The President also believed that his Cabinet would enjoy the
support of the House of Representatives.

"I wouldn't worry about that. The names were proposed by the
United Development Party (PPP), Golkar and PDI Perjuangan. I
won't disclose which minister comes from which party, but each
one has the support of a political party," he said.

The President was visibly upset when asked whether the new
Cabinet would be doomed like the last one for lacking in unity.

"The only people who say it lacked unity are you guys from the
media. You lied and you believe in your own lies. I'm sorry if I
sound blunt," he said.

The Cabinet announcement came earlier than originally
expected, either on Thursday or Friday, signifying that
negotiations with Megawati were concluded ahead of schedule.

The President convened a short Cabinet meeting on Wednesday
morning to thank ministers for their service and later joined
them for a last photo session.

There were no indications even then that the Cabinet would be
announced a few hours later.

The new Cabinet will be sworn in on Saturday.

Wednesday's announcement was as much a reshuffle as well as a
restructuring of the administration. The changes include:

* The elimination of the coordinating minister for people's
welfare and poverty eradication.

* The elimination of the offices of state ministers of tourism
and arts; regional autonomy; investment and state enterprises
development; youth affairs and sports; public works; human
rights; transmigration and population; and social affairs.

* The merger of the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry
of Forestry and Plantations into the Ministry of Agriculture and
Forestry.

* The establishment of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

* Some ministries were renamed to accommodate the elimination
of the offices of state ministers. They include the Ministry of
Home Affairs and Regional Autonomy (previously Ministry of Home
Affairs); Ministry of Health and Social Welfare (previously
Ministry of Health); Ministry of Transportation and
Telecommunications (previously Ministry of Communications);
Ministry of Manpower and Transmigration (previously Ministry of
Manpower); Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (previously
Ministry of Mines and Energy); Ministry of Justice and Human
Rights (previously Ministry of Law and Legislation); and Ministry
of Maritime and Fisheries (previously Ministry of Maritime
Exploration).

* The reintroduction of three junior ministerial posts to
promote specific government policies.

Gus Dur said the restructuring plan was largely the work of
three ministers in the last Cabinet: Susilo Bambang, Ryaas Rasyid
and Erna Witular. The three were also involved during the talks
with Megawati in selecting the names.

The Cabinet has two fewer people from TNI compared to the one
that was announced in October. The four former servicemen all
served in the last Cabinet. Besides Susilo Bambang, there is Agum
Gumelar (transportation and telecommunications), Surjadi Sudirdja
(home affairs and regional autonomy) and Luhut B. Panjaitan
(industry and trade).

In spite of Gus Dur's claim that all the ministers were
recommended by political parties, only a few of them could be
regarded as party activists.

They include Alwi Shihab (foreign affairs), Tolchah Hasan
(religious affairs) and Khofifah Indar Parawansa (women's
empowerment) from Gus Dur's PKB, Zarkasih Noer (cooperatives and
small/medium enterprises) from the United Development Party
(PPP), Yusril Ihza Mahendra (justice and human rights) from the
Crescent Star Party (PBB) and Alhilal Hamdi (manpower and
transmigration) from the National Mandate Party (PAN).
(prb/byg/emb)