Haggling stalls Cabinet making

Haggling stalls Cabinet making

JAKARTA (JP): The much-awaited Cabinet line-up will not be
unveiled until next week, accentuating apparent horse trading
among major political parties for key positions and leaving the
financial markets bearish.

President Megawati Soekarnoputri met major party leaders at
her residence in Central Jakarta on Thursday morning, but they
apparently failed to agree on the line-up, prompting the delay in
its announcement until next week.

The delay has apparently battered the financial market. The
rupiah slid a bit to close at Rp 9,640 against the U.S. dollar on
the spot market from Rp 9,630 on Wednesday, while share prices on
the Jakarta Stock Exchange dropped by 1.5 percent, with the
composite index falling to 436.41 points from 443.19.

Those attending Thursday's breakfast meeting said that the
announcement, initially slated for Friday or Saturday, would be
postponed until Thursday at the latest, but none of them give any
reason as to why it should be delayed.

When elected two weeks ago, Megawati promised to name her
Cabinet within days, and the delay has sparked speculation that
squabbling among political parties has worsened.

Participants at the meeting, however, denied that there was a
rift among the coalition of parties supporting Megawati's
presidency.

Golkar Party Chairman Akbar Tandjung said after the meeting
that the delay would provide sufficient time for each political
party to select carefully their candidates and for the President
to consider the best ones for the Cabinet.

"The main point is we support the new government," Akbar
remarked.

Akbar, also Speaker of the House of Representatives, however,
indicated his discontent with the delay, saying that Golkar had
suggested that Megawati announce the line-up this weekend, but
still the President decided to delay it "for unclear reasons."

The chairman of the National Mandate Party, Amien Rais, said
the delay simply reflected Megawati's "slow but sure" style.

Meanwhile, caretaker minister of justice and human rights
Mahfud MD said that he heard Megawati was angered during the
meeting as political parties squabbled over a post in the
Cabinet.

The political parties, according to Mahfud, demanded to be
accommodated proportionally in the Cabinet in accordance with
their role in ousting Abdurrahman Wahid and propelling Megawati
to the presidency.

If political parties continue their squabbling, Mahfud warned,
Megawati might turn to the Indonesian Military (TNI), that played
a crucial role in her ascension to power, to fill key positions.

The treasurer of Megawati's Indonesian Democratic Party of
Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), Noviantika Nasution, confirmed that
the delay was due to "difficult conflicts of interest" among the
parties and among PDI Perjuangan executives.

"Megawati is being very careful to balance the proportion
between candidates from political parties and professionals,"
Noviantika told The Jakarta Post on Thursday.

Amien Rais, also Speaker of the People's Consultative
Assembly, asked Megawati not to be trapped by the assumption that
politicians are not professional in their approach, or that
professionals are necessarily politically independent.

"Do not assume that professionals do not have political
interests and that political parties do not have technocrats," he
said.

He said further that some of the meeting participants hoped
that a number of ministers in the previous Cabinet would be
included in the new one.

However, he suggested that the "old faces", which may be
included in the new Cabinet, should be professional, hardworking
and capable of performing well.

"If there are several old faces it will be OK, but it will
create furor if there are too many old faces in the Cabinet. New
faces, new platform; that would be better," Amien said after the
meeting.

Also present at the meeting were United Development Party
(PPP) Chairman Hamzah Haz, who is also the Vice President,
Justice and Unity Party (PKP) Chairman Eddy Sudrajat, dismissed
National Awakening Party (PKB) chairman Matori Abdul Djalil,
Crescent Star Party (PBB) chairman Yusril Ihza Mahendra, Justice
Party (PK) President Hidayat Nur Wahid, and Assembly deputy
speaker from the TNI/National Police faction Hari Sabarno.

Justice Party President Hidayat Nur Wahid underlined that the
new Cabinet should be in the hands of people with integrity,
honesty and professionalism; so each party should consider that
in nominating the candidates.

"Inside the meeting we agreed that we are going to use the
current structure, with the addition of the ministry of social
affairs and there will be no ministry of information," Hidayat
told journalists after the meeting. (dja/tso)