Jostling for positions on Cabinet begins
Jostling for positions on Cabinet begins
JAKARTA (JP): Only hours after Abdurrahman Wahid was elected
the country's fourth president, politicians in the People's
Consultative Assembly (MPR) were urging him to form a "power-
sharing" Cabinet which could accommodate all sides with a strong
economic lineup.
Mohammad Hidayat, a close advisor to Golkar Party chairman
Akbar Tandjung, said the President should select the best people
from major political parties.
He indicated that Golkar could contribute four of its cadres
to join the Cabinet.
The property entrepreneur said he heard that Abdurrahman
wanted to appoint either former minister of finance Mar'ie
Muhammad or Fuad Bawazier as his top economic aide.
"Both of them were ministers under Soeharto," said Hidayat.
Fuad is a former director general of tax who served as
minister of finance for then president Soeharto from March to May
last year. He is now member of the House of Representatives from
the National Awakening Party (PKB) which Abdurrahman help
establish.
Golkar legislator Priyo Budi Santoso expressed hope that the
next Cabinet team would include a group of professional people
with strong skills, particularly in the core of the government's
economic team.
Lifting the country from its devastating economic crisis is
expected to be one of the highest priorities for the new
government.
"The Cabinet team must not include those people who served
under the Soeharto government, in order to create a government
free of corruption, collusion and nepotism. But those who served
under Habibie are still acceptable," Priyo said.
Sabam Sirait and Kwik Kian Gie from the Indonesian Democratic
Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) stressed that their party
would not "whine" for seats on the Cabinet even though the party
won largest votes in the general election and believed it had
qualified people for the job.
"PDI Perjuangan will not do that," Sabam said after the
presidential election.
Kwik said the composition of the Cabinet should not only be
based on a power-sharing principle, but also consider the
individual capacity of the potential Cabinet members.
Lt. Gen. (ret) Syarwan Hamid, minister of home affairs under
Habibie, expected the President to form a cabinet which would
include all elements of the country's political forces.
"But, of course, the selection of the Cabinet must also be
based on skill and capability," said Syarwan, now an Assembly
member.
Chairman of the United Development Party (PPP) Hamzah Haz
shared Syarwan's views. He said that in order for the new Cabinet
to be strong, Abdurrahman must select its members to represent
all components of the political forces.
"This is one of the important agendas," said the former state
minister of investment.
Deputy Assembly speaker Ginandjar Kartasasmita said the
President had no choice but to accelerate national efforts to
restore the economy.
"The President has the capability to restore international
confidence to Indonesia, including from the International
Monetary Fund," said Ginandjar, who served as coordinating
minister for economy, finance and industry for Soeharto and
Habibie.(rei/prb)