Gus Dur pours cold water on Cabinet reshuffle rumors
JAKARTA (JP): President Abdurrahman Wahid belied expectations of a Cabinet reshuffle, saying that he had not made any plans for one.
"Rumors that I will replace many of my ministers in the near future are not true, because we have many problems and it (reshuffle) will only create new ones," Abdurrahman said at a seminar on Monday at the University of Indonesia campus in Depok, south of Jakarta.
Abdurrahman said he had not considered making a major overhaul of the Cabinet as he felt it was best for the government to concentrate more on solving the country's many problems.
He further said he would consider other means than a Cabinet reshuffle.
It is unclear whether the statement was made to catch people off guard as almost all top politicians have indicated an impending Cabinet reshuffle in August just after the General Session of the People's Consultative Assembly.
It is also unclear what the President perceives as a "Cabinet reshuffle" in that it is thought he may regard it as a total change of the Cabinet lineup.
His comments were in stark contrast to Vice President Megawati Soekarnoputri, who, during a visit to Singapore on Monday, expressed hope that the reshuffle would not take place before the General Session of the Assembly, planned for the second week of August.
Speaking to journalists at her suite at the Shangri-La Hotel, Megawati emphasized that it was fully the President's prerogative to decide such matters, "(but) of course, I assume that I will be involved in that matter".
Megawati, who arrived for a three-day visit on Sunday, also warned Indonesian political elites not to politicize the August General Session to unsettle the government, stressing that the purpose of the session is only to obtain the government's progress report.
Megawati underwent a general checkup on Monday morning at Mt. Elizabeth Hospital. She said she was satisfied with her health.
She met with Singapore President S.R. Nathan, Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong and Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew in the afternoon.
"You have a nice dress," Tong said when he first met with Megawati.
Meanwhile in Jakarta, senior political figures also commented on the likelihood of a reshuffle.
State Minister of Research and Technology A.S. Hikam said in a discussion at The Jakarta Post office that the President had not made up his mind whether to just reshuffle the Cabinet or conduct an overhaul by streamlining it.
He also said the most important key is whether the political climate will be more conducive as a result of the Cabinet reshuffle.
Hikam said currently there were certain politicians who continuously undermine the President by making erratic and inconsistent statements.
Separately, House of Representatives Speaker Akbar Tandjung also stressed that it was fully the President's prerogative to conduct a reshuffle. Nevertheless, he said he expects that if one is carried out a more solid team should be resolved to tackle problems, such as economic recovery, the security and threat of disintegration.
"If Gus Dur says that he can handle those problems with the current Cabinet, then that's fine and we'll leave it to him. We won't interfere," Akbar said.
He underlined that widescale support for a Cabinet reshuffle was a way to remind Abdurrahman that he had to deal with many urgent problems and that he needs a more effective Cabinet because so far there had been no significant progress in the country. (dja/prb)