Megawati names rainbow cabinet

Megawati names rainbow cabinet

JAKARTA (JP): President Megawati Soekarnoputri named her
Cabinet on Thursday, giving away some, but not all, of the seats
to the political factions, including the Indonesian Military
(TNI), who had supported her rise to power 18 days earlier.

Most key cabinet posts, particularly in the economic arena,
were given to professionals and bureaucrats, but there were
enough seats left to placate the political factions and secure
her the crucial support of the legislature.

While accommodating what she referred to as "today's political
reality", Megawati retained some ministers from the last cabinet,
or recalled some who were fired by her predecessor Abdurrahman
Wahid, to provide continuity as well as sense of familiarity.

Twelve of the ministers had worked with her in her capacity as
vice president between October 1999 and July 2001.

Gen. (ret) Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Jusuf Kalla were
recalled and given key posts as coordinating ministers,
respectively for political and security affairs, and for people's
welfare.

University of Indonesia economist Dorodjatun Kuntjoro Jakti,
who recently ended his term as ambassador to the United States,
heads Megawati's economic team.

Boediono, a highly respected career central bank official, is
the new finance minister, while Rini Soewandi, one of Indonesia's
most highly paid professional managers, heads up the powerful
Ministry of Industry and Trade.

Matori Abdul Djalil, who lost his job as chairman of
Abdurrahman's National Awakening Party (PKB) because of his open
support for Megawati's election, has been rewarded with the
defense portfolio, continuing a policy initiated by Abdurrahman
of entrusting the job to civilians rather than military officers.

Lt. Gen. Hari Sabarno, who as chairman of the TNI/National
Police faction in the House of Representatives (DPR) assisted
Megawati's on her rise to power, is the new home affairs
minister. He will have to retire from active service in the
military before serving in a civilian post.

Hassan Wirajuda, a senior career diplomat, heads the Ministry
of Foreign Affairs.

Megawati revived the Ministry of Social Services, but not the
Ministry of Information, both of which were dissolved by
Abdurrahman in October 1999.

She instead created the post of State Minister of
Communications and Information, which will have less power than
the old Ministry of Information, which had a long history of
suppressing the Indonesian media.

She awarded the post of chief of the State Intelligence
Coordinating Board (Bakin) to her long time friend and advisor,
Lt. Gen. (ret) A.M. Hendropriyono.

Lt. Gen. (ret) Agum Gumelar, who briefly served as
Abdurrahman's coordinating minister of political affairs, was
given his former job back as minister of transportation.

Rounding up the list is Bambang Kesowo, a top bureaucrat who
was Megawati's private secretary when she was vice president.

In all, 32 of the 33 Cabinet posts have been filled.

By personal background, the new Cabinet consists of:

* Seven bureaucrats: Bambang Kesowo, Hassan Wirajuda, Rokhmin
Dahuri, Soenarno, I Gde Artika, Feisal Tamin and Nabiel Makarim.

* Eight professionals: Dorodjatun Kuntjoro Jakti, Boediono,
Rini Soewandi, Laksamana Sukardi, Bungaran Saragih, Purnomo
Yusgiantoro, Achmad Sujudi and Manuel Kaisiepo.

* Four military officers: Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, Hari
Sabarno, Agum Gumelar and A.M. Hendropriyono.

* Eleven politicians: M. Prakosa, Jacob Nuwa Wea and Kwik Kian
Gie (PDI-P Perjuangan); Jusuf Kalla, Sri Rejeki Soemaryoto and
Syamsul Mu'arif (Golkar); Bachtiar Chamsyah, Alimarwan Hanan
(PPP); Yusril Ihza Mahendra (PBB); Matori Abdul Djalil (formerly
of PKB); and Hatta Rajasa (PAN).

* Two from large Islamic organizations: Abdul Malik Fajar
(Muhammadiyah) and Said Agil Munawar (Nahdlatul Ulama).

Megawati has yet to name the new Attorney General, a crucial
yet challenging post given the massive backlog of pending
corruption and human rights cases, many of them involving
formerly politically powerful people. She promised to announce
the name after the installation of the new Cabinet on Friday.

The President is also expected to soon announce her
nominations for the new TNI chief to succeed incumbent Navy
Admiral A.S. Widodo, and the new National Police chief to succeed
Gen. Soerojo Bimantoro. By law, these two appointments must first
be approved by the House of Representatives.

Megawati, who owes her ascent to power to the various
political factions, appropriately named her team the Gotong
Royong Cabinet, after the age-old tradition of "mutual help"
found in Indonesian villages whereby every one contributes and
benefits from a common project.

Megawati's father, Indonesia's first president Sukarno,
conferred the name Gotong Royong on the House of Representatives
he established after dissolving the elected parliament in 1959.

Megawati is the chairwoman of the PDI-P, which controls 35
percent of the seats in the House of Representatives. Vice
President Hamzah Haz is chairman of the United Development Party
(PPP), the third largest faction in the House behind Golkar.

In announcing her team, Megawati said she "took into account
views as expressed through the political parties and the mass
media, as well as those conveyed directly to me."

"I fully understand today's political reality as well as those
aspirations," she said, stressing that she had consulted the Vice
President, all party chairmen, and the leadership of the People's
Consultative Assembly (MPR).

She said the Cabinet would do its best in facing up to the
difficult challenges facing it between now and the end of her
term in 2004.

Megawati outlined a six-point working program for the Cabinet
which consisted of the following:

* Maintaining national unity

* Continuing the reform and democratization processes

* Normalizing the country's economic life

* Upholding the law, restoring security and peace, and
eradicating corruption, collusion and nepotism

* Restoring Indonesia's international credibility and
regaining international confidence

* Laying the groundwork for the 2004 general election.

"Given the present high expectations among the public that we
quickly emerge from the various difficulties that we are facing
today, I fully realize the onerous challenges and duties that lie
ahead for this Cabinet," Megawati said.

Calling for the support of the House, the MPR and the entire
nation, she said: "God willing, the Cabinet that I lead with the
help of my Vice President, will be capable of carrying out these
onerous tasks in the time allotted to me." (team)