Hamzah quits as minister

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)