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)