Habibie bids farewell to Cabinet members

Habibie bids farewell to Cabinet members

JAKARTA (JP): President B.J. Habibie said an emotional goodbye
on Tuesday to his Development and Reform Cabinet and thanked
government officials for helping him during his 16-month term of
office.

Minister of Information Muhammad Yunus said Habibie dominated
the two-hour meeting, which was initially intended to finalize
the draft of Habibie's accountability speech to the People's
Consultative Assembly (MPR) which is scheduled for Thursday.

"No one raised any questions. All of them just applauded," the
minister said after attending the plenary Cabinet meeting at the
State Secretariat.

All current serving Cabinet ministers attended the meeting,
except for Minister of Finance Bambang Subianto.

Also present were Supreme Court chief Sarwata, Supreme
Advisory Council (DPA) chairman Achmad Tirtosudiro, Supreme Audit
Agency (BPK) chairman Satrio Billy Yudono and high-level
officials from all ministries.

Despite having held the post for less than 16 months, Habibie
lost one-fourth of his original 36-strong Cabinet lineup.

Ten top officials tendered their resignations due to various
new regulations applied in the reform era which prohibit
ministers from direct involvement in political campaigning or
from holding dual positions in the Assembly.

Golkar Party chairman Akbar Tandjung, then minister/state
secretary, was in May the first minister to leave the Cabinet,
after he announced a decision to campaign for his party during
the general election.

He was followed by United Development Party (PPP) chairman
Hamzah Haz, who resigned from his post as state minister of
investment.

Habibie temporarily relieved in June A.M. Ghalib from his post
of attorney general. The move followed allegations that Ghalib
received funds from businessmen being investigated by his office.

Seven ministers departed the Cabinet last month in preference
for a role in the new MPR. They included then coordinating
minister for economy, finance and industry Ginandjar
Kartasasmita, and minister of home affairs Syarwan Hamid.

Yunus said that during the meeting Habibie did not refer to
the possibility of reappointing his former ministers if he was
reelected.

During the administrations of former president Soeharto,
ministers were usually permitted to keep their official Volvo
limousines.

"Actually, I also wanted to ask him about the car," Yunus
quipped.

Following the meeting, Habibie was busy preparing his
accountability report at Merdeka Palace. He appeared to have
taken his work home, as he later chose to receive politicians at
his private residence in Patra Kuningan, South Jakarta.

Habibie was scheduled on Tuesday evening to have dinner with
National Awakening Party (PKB) executives, including party
chairman Matori Abdul Djalil. The President hosted on Monday
evening a dinner for Justice Party (PK) executives, including the
party's president Nur Mahmudi Ismail.

"The President just wants to exchange views with them," said
an official on Tuesday. (prb)