Marzuki named new forestry minister

JAKARTA (JP): President Abdurrahman Wahid named on Friday Marzuki Usman as the new Minister for Forestry, replacing Nurmahmudi Ismail who was sacked on Thursday night.

"As of today, Nurmahmudi Ismail has been honorably dismissed and the President has decided to appoint Marzuki Usman as the new Minister for Forestry," Cabinet Secretary Marsilam Simanjuntak told a press conference at Merdeka Palace.

"Marzuki Usman is deemed by the President as being capable of carrying out his new duties," Marsilam said, adding that Marzuki would be officially installed on Saturday morning.

Marsilam said the presidential decree appointing Marzuki, who was minister for tourism, arts and culture under former president B.J. Habibie, made it clear the move "would improve Cabinet's cooperation and coordination in the running of the government".

Marzuki, 57, was also investment minister during the last months of Habibie's presidency.

Presidential spokesman Wimar Witoelar, who was also present on Friday, said Marzuki's appointment had also been "made with the knowledge and agreement of Vice President Megawati Soekarnoputri".

When pressed to disclose the real motive behind Nurmahmudi's dismissal, who is the former chairman of the Justice Party (PK), Wimar said: "There are, of course, other considerations that should not be disclosed."

PK is one of a group of Muslim parties that supported Abdurrahman's election as president in October 1999 but later turned against him and are now seeking his ouster through a special session of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR).

Earlier in the day, Nurmahmudi said he was dismissed for refusing a presidential order to replace the ministry's secretary-general Soeripto, who was accused by Abdurrahman of plotting to oust him.

"I refused because (the order) for dismissal is based on unproven accusations against Mr. Soeripto," Nurmahmudi told a press conference.

Abdurrahman told Nurmahmudi that he had been informed by "very reliable and honest sources" that Soeripto had met Maj. Gen. Muchdi Purwopranjono, former chief of the Army's Special Force (Kopassus), at the Kempinski Hotel in Central Jakarta, to plot Abdurrahman's downfall, he said.

Soeripto, who was present at Nurmahmudi's press conference, later admitted that he had met with Muchdi several times, but he was quick to add that his meetings with the two-star general were "only business talks regarding forest concessions".

Muchdi has been assigned to a desk job by the Army for his alleged involvement in the abduction of student activists in the final months of former president Soeharto's rule.

Soeripto, Nurmahmudi added, was also accused by Abdurrahman of facilitating the escape of fugitive Hutomo Mandala Putra -- youngest son of former president Soeharto -- by using the ministry's helicopter to help transport Tommy, as Hutomo is popularly called, to "a safe place".

Tommy has been on the run since last November following a Supreme Court verdict in September sentencing him to 18 months in prison for corruption.

Nurmahmudi also disputed the President's allegations that his vision and policies for forestry were unclear, cited by Defense Minister Mahfud M.D. as among the reasons for his dismissal.

"I created a strategic forestry plan before the end of 2000," Nurmahmudi said.

He also said that, for the first time in its history, his ministry had an up-to-date "solid" forestry map.

On Friday morning, Mahfud spelled out the reasons for Nurmahmudi's sacking: "He does not share the same vision as the President ... his forestry policies have been unclear and we do not know in which direction the forestry sector is heading, and he has been unable to control the PK."

Nurmahmudi said that, as a civil servant, he was no longer a PK member and it was not within his capacity to control the party.

Nurmahmudi is the second minister from the Muslim parties to be dismissed by Abdurrahman this year after Justice and Human Rights Minister Yusril Ihza Mahendra, from the Crescent Star Party (PBB), was dismissed in February.

The announcement of Nurmahmudi's dismissal came a day after two politicians from the National Mandate Party (PAN), in the same coalition of Muslim parties, chose to have their party membership revoked in order to remain in the Cabinet.

PAN, chaired by Abdurrahman's fiercest critic, MPR Speaker Amien Rais, dismissed Minister of National Education Yahya Muhaimin and Minister of Manpower and Transmigration Al Hilal Hamdi from the party on Thursday.

Abdurrahman has been under mounting pressure to step down after being censured by the House of Representatives in February for his alleged involvement in two financial scandals. (02/byg/tnt)