Mega opts to keep silent on calls to revamp Cabinet
Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Despite mounting calls to reshuffle her Cabinet, President Megawati Soekarnoputri has opted to keep the nation waiting, at least until her arrival back home.
On the sidelines of her visit to London over the weekend, Megawati said she preferred not to discuss such a sensitive issue.
"I may keep a little secret, may I not?" she said quizzically, as quoted by Antara when responding to a question raised during her meeting with the Indonesian community.
Pressure has been high both at home and within the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), which Megawati chairs, that she, for the sake of her political survival, replace several ministers, notably State Secretary/Cabinet Secretary Bambang Kesowo.
There have also been calls for her to dismiss Minister of Defense Matori Abdul Djalil and to restructure her economic team under Coordinating Minister for the Economy Dorodjatun Kuntjoro- Jakti, who has been at loggerheads with State Minister of National Development Planning Kwik Kian Gie over foreign aid.
Bambang was not included in Megawati's entourage for her two- week European trip.
Megawati played down Bambang's absence, saying he had a lot of work to do prior to the upcoming annual session of the People's Consultative Assembly in August.
Earlier on Friday, PDI Perjuangan deputy chairman Roy BB Janis said Megawati was seeking a suitable aide as state secretary to replace Bambang.
Separately, House Speaker Akbar Tandjung said: "Changing Cabinet members is the most viable alternative to improve the government's performance."
Akbar, who chairs the Golkar Party, said he would not mind Megawati replacing ministers who represented Golkar.
Pouring cold water on increasing calls for a Cabinet reshuffle over the last few days, PDI Perjuangan deputy secretary-general Agnita Singadikane Irsal said it was unlikely the President would even marginally reshuffle her Cabinet.
Agnita said Megawati had not discussed the possibility of replacing any ministers in the near future.
"A possible Cabinet reshuffle is far from her mind. It is assumed she will retain her Cabinet to avoid any political turmoil or instability at home," Agnita told The Jakarta Post on Saturday.
The replacement of Bambang would be the most controversial as it is publicly known that he has had many disagreements with Megawati's husband Taufik Kiemas, who has demanded that Bambang be replaced.
However, aside from all the pressure, Megawati has said since the beginning that she would not follow in the footsteps of her predecessor Abdurrahman Wahid, who reshuffled his Cabinet at least four times during his 18-month presidency.
"Megawati is not the kind of person to go back on her word, no matter what risks she has to take," Agnita said.
However, Megawati could possibly compromise by separating the two positions held by Bambang and appoint a new official as Cabinet secretary.
"That's as much as Megawati would consider in meeting the demands," she claimed.
On the weekend, experts stepped up pressure for a Cabinet reshuffle, saying that maintaining the current lineup would hinder the government's performance.
Political observer Arbi Sanit said changing Cabinet members was possible to improve the political and economic condition of the country, which has not shown any improvement in the past year of Megawati's tenure.
He said there was nothing to stop Megawati from reshuffling her Cabinet before the elections if she were so inclined.