House, observers cool on reshuffle

By Tertiani Simanjuntak & Ridwan M. Sijabat

JAKARTA (JP): Legislators and observers admitted to being baffled by the President's sudden move to reshuffle the Cabinet, contending that it would do little to cool sentiments or reduce the likelihood of a special session of the People's Consultative Assembly.

Some even suggested that the reshuffle was a preliminary move to pave the way for President Abdurrahman Wahid to forcibly stop the convening of the special session.

House deputy speaker Soetardjo Soerjogoeritno marveled at President Abdurrahman's audacity in reshuffling the Cabinet, particularly the replacement of Coordinating Minister for Political, Social and Security Affairs, given that the probable lifespan of the administration was less than two months.

"I'm very confused. I can't understand the President's reasons for replacing Susilo who is an important figure with a wide perspective in the government.

"The reshuffle is an indication that the President is well and truly panicked," Soetardjo told reporters here on Friday.

While the President has the prerogative to shuffle the Cabinet, he remarked, the move would only give rise to more controversy and worsen the political instability.

Soetardjo, a senior politician with the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), described the appointment of Agum Gumelar to succeed Susilo as a wrongheaded decision.

"The problem is not Megawati but Gus Dur himself," he added.

Abdurrahman had said that Agum would be the right man to serve as an interlocutor between the President and the Vice President.

Syamsul Muarif, chairman of the Golkar Party faction in the House, brushed aside the political significance of the reshuffle.

"It will be of no significance as regards the government's performance and will not enable the President to improve his performance over the next two months," he said.

Asked to comment of the replacement of Attorney General Marzuki Darusman, a key Golkar figure, Syamsul said his party had no objection to the move.

"Gus Dur appointed Baharuddin Lopa to replace Marzuki in order to intensify the handling of corruption cases. Golkar has no objection to the President's move to prosecute those guilty of corruption in the past but such action must be based on true commitment and not political revenge."

"The President should not politicize the law to take revenge against the House over its recent decision to call for a special session," he added.

Syamsul further warned that the House would not stand for it if the President in the near future decided to replace Indonesian Military chief Adm. Widodo A.S. or National Police chief Gen. Surojo Bimantoro.

Ali Marwan Hanan, chairman of the United Development Party (PPP) faction, said the sudden reshuffle only served to weaken the government and the President's position in facing the special session.

"This reshuffle is regrettable. What the President needs to do is not to reshuffle the Cabinet but to intensify his lobbying of the major political parties if he wants to survive," he said.

Meanwhile, political and military observer Kusnanto Anggoro from the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) pointed out that the reshuffle had little significance as regards the creation of an effective government or the creation of a balance of power vis-a-vis the political parties.

"Nothing has changed with the new Cabinet because the various posts have been filled by the same people. If it's meant to create an effective government or to enhance security capabilities, then this is not immediately apparent. Gus Dur has reshuffled the cabinet because he doesn't have any other option," Kusnanto told The Jakarta Post.

Kusnanto also doubted Abdurrahman's premise that Agum could play a mediating role between the President and the Vice President.

"If Gus Dur wants to entice Mega into sharing power, I don't think Agum will be able to help him out as Mega already holds more bargaining chips than the President."

Kusnanto contended that what Abdurrahman should have done was to solicit the participation of certain PDI Perjuangan officials in the Cabinet.

Kusnanto suggested that if the current reshuffle were to be ultimately unsuccessful, the President as a final resort would issue a decree attempting to dissolve the House.

"The question is: Would it work? The answer is definitely not, because no one else around him would accept his orders anymore."

Riswandha Imawan from the Yogyakarta-based Gadjah Mada University believed the reshuffle was a prelude to the issuance of a decree restraining the convening of the special session, as Susilo, the Cabinet's most senior minister, had openly rejected the possibility of such a decree.

"The reshuffle has (also) destroyed international confidence in our country as the government's credibility has been called into serious question given that after its first two years in office there are already 24 ex-ministers," he told the Post.