Mega wants obedience from subordinates

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

President Megawati Soekarnoputri called on all government officials and civil servants to carry out all her decisions and not to hamper the implementation of government policies, a senior government minister said on Monday.

Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said that Megawati expected all her subordinates to conduct their duties as ordered by her.

"She warned anybody not to let any of her decisions be hampered somewhere in the implementation," Susilo said after a meeting attended by Megawati, Coordinating Minister of Economy Dorodjatun Kuntjoro-Jakti and Coordinating Minister of Social Welfare Jusuf Kalla.

"The president even underlined that 'if some of the officials cannot work with us (the government), then they should not be a part of us'," Susilo said, quoting Megawati.

The minister further said that Megawati also urged all state officials to have a sense of crisis in their everyday lives as the country was gripped by prolonged economic woes.

This is the second time Megawati has expressed her concern about the bureaucracy, saying that sometimes as president she could not have control over her subordinates.

Last week in front of the country's former freedom fighters, she said that although she could control her ministers it was difficult to supervise officials under the ministers.

Megawati, who became president in July, is new to bureaucracy, as she was never involved in any government department after her father -- former president Sukarno -- was replaced by former president Soeharto.

Soeharto, who led the country for 32 years, had an established bureaucracy system, including selected people in selected positions, most of whom are still part of the current government.

Susilo said that the president had asked the three coordinating ministers to hold meetings with her every Monday to discuss the government's policies and implementation.

She used to have similar procedures when she was vice president during the tenure of former president Abdurrahman Wahid.

"The President underlined that if we cannot have better measures in the upcoming year of 2002, then it will be impossible for us to deal with the country's problems in 2004," Susilo said.

On his part, Susilo said that in 2002 his office would continue to concentrate on efforts to resolve conflicts that spread across the country and to enforce law and regulations.

The President demanded the two programs work well, he said.