Hamzah quits as minister

JAKARTA (JP): President Abdurrahman Wahid announced here on Friday he had accepted the resignation of Hamzah Haz and had appointed Basri Hasanuddin to replace him as coordinating minister for people's welfare and poverty eradication.

The announcement confirmed widespread rumors of Hamzah's desire to relinquish his Cabinet post, but may not end speculation as to why the United Development Party (PPP) chief decided to step down just a month after being appointed to the cabinet.

Hamzah's replacement is relatively unknown in the political arena. Basri, a former rector of Hasanuddin University in Makassar, South Sulawesi, will be sworn-in on Tuesday.

Abdurrahman said Hamzah was retiring due his many party obligations.

"After becoming a minister, Pak Hamzah Haz received many complaints from his party because he didn't have time to manage it due to his busy ministerial schedule," the President said of Hamzah's reasons for resigning.

Hamzah reportedly conveyed his decision to leave the Cabinet to him soon after Abdurrahman's arrival from the Middle East on Friday morning.

Speaking at a press conference after the opening of a congress of Indonesian public notaries at Sahid Jaya Hotel, Abdurrahman flatly denied suggestions the resignation was linked to the president's revelation that three Cabinet ministers were being investigated for corruption.

Hamzah, along with Minister of Law and Legislation Yusril Izha Mahendra and Minister of Manpower Bomer Pasaribu, was often rumored to be implicated.

The President, however, has already said that Yusril was not among those being investigated, and on Friday also vouched for Hamzah.

Reasons

"He is not being questioned by the attorney general. He asked to resign for party reasons ... We cannot force him to remain as minister."

When journalists continued to speculate on the reasons for the resignation, the President sharply replied, "You ask him, not me. You know that he has his own reasons. Whatever his reason is, it is a fact that he cannot continue his position as a minister".

Hamzah, who was state minister of investment in president B.J. Habibie's Cabinet, has told close associates that he wanted to return to his previous post as deputy speaker of the House of Representatives (DPR).

He has also rejected any suggestion of being involved in corruption.

During the vice presidential election last month, Hamzah was Megawati Soekarnoputri's only challenger.

Abdurrahman did not elaborate on his reasons for selecting Basri as Hamzah's successor. The post of coordinating minister is usually given to an experienced minister.

The President, however, disclosed that Basri was not his first choice.

The post was initially offered to Indonesia's Ambassador to the United States Dorodjatun Kuntjoro-Jakti.

"He (Dorodjatun) said he could not accept because of objections from his wife and children," Abdurrahman said.

Meanwhile, Basri said he accepted the Cabinet post, although he realized he would face a very difficult task due to the country's economic crisis.

Born in Mandar, South Sulawesi, in 1929, he graduated from Hasanuddin University's school of economics in 1972. He gained a doctorate from a Filipino university five years later.

He served as rector of Hasanuddin University from 1989 to 1997.(prb)