Hundreds line up for cabinet posts

Hundreds line up for cabinet posts

Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post, Bogor

Hundreds of people have sent letters to Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono
asking to be appointed as Cabinet ministers in the next
government, prompting the retired four-star Army general to set
up a team to sort out the applications.

Suratto Siswodihardjo, a former one-star Air Force officer who
served as a member of Susilo's campaign team, said on Wednesday
that the letters were sent directly to Susilo's residence in
Cikeas, West Java.

"One day after Pak Susilo said that he would form a Cabinet
that accommodates people's interests, hundreds of letters have
come in either to propose names to fill certain ministerial posts
or to apply directly for such posts," Suratto said.

"Pak Susilo has set up a team to sort through the letters and
come up with candidates that meet the requirements. But in the
end, it is Pak Susilo who will have the final say," Suratto
said, adding that Susilo would consult his running mate, Jusuf
Kalla, before deciding on ministerial appointments.

The letters were still flooding into Susilo's house on
Wednesday, and, according to Suratto, the pile had already
reached one meter in height.

Suratto said that the team tasked with sorting through the
letters would likely discard those from people whose names were
not familiar to the public.

"Several non-governmental organizations have proposed Pak
Muladi as one of Pak Susilo's Cabinet ministers," said Suratto,
referring to a former minister in the administration of president
B.J. Habibie.

Asked whether Susilo would consider him Muladi for a Cabinet
post, Suratto said: "It is his, and Pak Kalla's, prerogative."

Susilo has emerged as the clear winner of the country's first
ever direct presidential election. With over 110 million ballots
already counted by Wednesday evening, Susilo and running mate
Kalla had gained 60.8 percent of the vote, compared to Megawati
Soekarnoputri and running mate Hasyim Muzadi's 39.1 percent.

Over 153 million people were registered to vote in the Sept.
20 election runoff, but only around 125 million people are
believed to have actually cast their ballots. The General
Elections Commission will announce the official result on Oct. 5.

Susilo has always said that he would not announce his Cabinet
lineup until he was sworn in on Oct. 20.

Susilo, who resigned from Megawati's administration in March
to run in the presidential election, was nominated by the
Democratic Party, the Crescent Star Party and the Indonesian
Unity and Justice Party and, according to party sources, the
three parties had been promised two ministerial posts each should
Susilo win the election.

The Prosperous Justice Party, which threw its support behind
the Susilo-Kalla ticket in the second round of the election on
Sept. 20, is slated to get one Cabinet post.

Kalla said recently that professionals would fill 60 percent
of Cabinet posts, with the rest going to political parties.
Suratto confirmed this on Wednesday.

"Several politicians will be accommodated in the Cabinet
provide they meet the requirements, including moral integrity and
competence," Suratto said.

Meanwhile, Susilo -- who has been busy receiving thousands of
people wishing to congratulate him on his election victory, said
on Wednesday that he would soon start defining the programs and
concepts of his administration.

"I have asked my people to give me room and time to do so, and
to allow me to end this open-house arrangement on Friday," Susilo
said.