JP//SBY
Cabinet reshuffle caps year of silent rivalry
Dwi Atmanta The Jakarta Post/Jakarta
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's face stiffened prior to announcing the first Cabinet reshuffle that night of Dec. 5.
He spent most of his introductory speech denying media reports regarding an alleged tug-of-war that preceded the changes to his Cabinet team, which he said were speculative and baseless.
Why did he bother responding to such unsubstantiated news in that case?
Critics were quick to criticize Susilo for lacking the composure a statesman needs to respond to the problems he is facing. Former president Megawati Soekarnoputri joined the chorus, saying her successor did not have a sense of humor.
What was behind the President's ire was his attempt to prove his critics, who branded him an indecisive leader, wrong.
"I have never hesitated (to replace ministers). I have a definite concept in running the government," Susilo said in a televised speech.
He also dismissed speculation that he had come under pressure from certain political parties or individuals in determining who gets what in the minor reshuffle.
Whatever the President maintained, many deem the reshuffle as a win-win solution reached between him and Vice President Jusuf Kalla, who leads the Golkar Party, the major bedrock of political support for his one-year-old administration.
Demands had mounted previously for Susilo to replace Aburizal Bakrie, who is a Golkar member, as the chief economics minister.
Susilo bowed to the pressure, but instead of kicking Aburizal out of the Cabinet, he shifted him to the post of coordinating minister for people's welfare. To further appease Golkar, Susilo awarded the party the National Development Planning Board chairmanship post. A Golkar executive said the party could have secured one more post in Fadel Muhammad, but Susilo dropped him at the last minute.
A source said Kalla was initially reluctant to travel to Yogyakarta to accompany Susilo in announcing the Cabinet reshuffle. The source said Kalla was unhappy with Aburizal losing his strategic post to Susilo's handpicked candidate Boediono. After three telephone conversations with Susilo, however, Kalla departed.
Kalla flew back to Jakarta just an hour after the announcement with a smile.
But it was Susilo who seemed to have had the last laugh.
Replacing Aburizal is indeed the boldest measure Susilo has ever taken. Aburizal's entry into the Cabinet was recommended by Kalla, who also focuses on economic affairs in line with the division of labor agreed upon with Susilo.
When the discourse on the reshuffle began to roll, Kalla insisted that there would be no changes in the economic team.
Then the President raised the issue of public officials who also play a role as businessmen. Susilo call them dual-function politicians, reminiscence of a New Order term for the socio- political role played by the military.
It remains unclear who the President was referring to, because in fact state officials are banned from running businesses. There is no regulation prohibiting their families from seeking profit, however.
There are several Cabinet members who used to be active in business, including Kalla, Aburizal and Minister of Industry Fahmi Idris.
As if to respond to Susilo's statement, Kalla said the inclusion of businessmen in the Cabinet was unavoidable and would benefit the government due to their managerial and negotiating skills.
Susilo seized the momentum of the Cabinet reshuffle to dissociate public officials from the private sector.
The President said he would issue a regulation that would prohibit companies run by families or relatives of public officials from bidding for projects funded by state or regional budgets.
The reform movement in 1998 had led to a major crackdown on corruption, collusion and nepotism involving state officials, but only recently the demand began to materialize. Collusion and nepotism, however, are still rampant and difficult to prove.
To further show who's the boss, Susilo announced a plan to formalize his professional relationship with the Vice President in a bid to avoid overlapping tasks that might confuse not only the Cabinet members but the public at large.
The idea of issuing the unprecedented regulation followed repeated contradictory statements made in public by the President and the Vice President, notably the fuel price hike and the Cabinet reshuffle.
A recent study conducted by the Indonesian Survey Circle (LSI) revealed that most respondents perceived the Vice President as playing an equal or more important role in running the country.
The pollster said Kalla's increased performance rating probably came from his prominent role in the peaceful settlement of the Aceh conflict, perceptions of his proactive approach to the country's economic policies, his support base in the House of Representatives through the Golkar Party he heads and his leadership style.
Kalla proved himself a skillful peace broker when he managed to convince Free Aceh Movement (GAM) rebels to sit at the negotiating table, and later on drop their long-held demand for an independent state.
Most respondents of the LSI survey say that one year into his term of office Kalla has played a bigger role in the government than his boss Susilo. Therefore in its recommendation, LSI suggested that Susilo take more initiatives while Kalla stay in the background.
Susilo might have had to allow for compromises in order to consolidate political support in the difficult first year of tenure, which might explain why he appeared to not be in full command.
Now that the Cabinet reshuffle has brought together all major parties except the self-styled opposition camp, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle on his side, Susilo could emerge as a powerful president as LSI put it in the second year.
"The President should never hesitate to exercise the powers the Constitution grants him in line with the presidential system of government," LSI said in its recommendations.
Nobody knows what Susilo has in mind to strengthen his political clout, but LSI suggested that he build a political machine that will provide him with second opinions that go in line with his platform, keep him in touch with trends in the society and help him maintain his political capital.
His popularity, still high despite the tough year, is his most valuable asset, which none of his contenders can afford to ignore.
Kalla must realize that. A Golkar figure said the Vice President told party executives it would be impossible for him to challenge Susilo in the 2009 election.
"It is possible that Kalla will again contest the election as Susilo's running mate, and emerge as a more powerful vice president," he said.
Kalla himself has dismissed speculation that he might challenge Susilo for the top post, like he did in 2004 when they challenged their former boss Megawati.
With politics being the game of the possible, no one can guarantee that an energetic, hardworking Kalla will keep a low profile.
Everything is now dependent on whether Susilo can gain the momentum of the Cabinet reshuffle to make use of the chemistry he and Kalla have formed. One year of confusion is more than enough.