Megawati swears in Cabinet ministers

Megawati swears in Cabinet ministers

JAKARTA (JP): Vice President Megawati Soekarnoputri installed
25 members of the new Cabinet at the State Palace on Saturday.

Megawati took the oath of the ministers on behalf of President
Abdurrahman Wahid after Cabinet vice secretary Erman Rajagukguk
read out Presidential Decree No. 121/2000 which assigns the Vice
President to take over the day-to-day running of government.

"I hope Ibu Vice President will install the new Cabinet," was
the usually talkative President's only remark during the
ceremony.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Alwi Shihab skipped the event due
to a week-long working visit to Europe. Cabinet Secretary
Marsilam Simanjuntak disclosed that Alwi would be sworn in soon
after he arrived home on Aug. 30.

Wearing a kebaya traditional dress, Megawati smiled at
photographers and cameramen before reading out the oath text,
which included a pledge not to accept bribes, abuse power or
extend special favors to any person or group.

Some ministers, including State Minister of Research and
Technology A.S. Hikam and Minister of Maritime Affairs and
Fishery Sarwono Kusumaatmadja, described Megawati's loud and firm
voice when reading out the text as proof of her enthusiasm for
her job.

"Her voice shows that she is vigorous and enthusiastic," Hikam
noted.

"Her strong performance is a good sign for us that she will
wholeheartedly lead us, the ministers," Sarwono said in praise of
Megawati.

At the ceremony, 19 Muslim ministers took their oath on the
Koran, three Protestant ministers -- Minister of Agriculture and
Forestry Bungaran Saragih, Minister of Industry and Trade Luhut
B. Panjaitan and Junior Minister of the Acceleration of
Development in Eastern Indonesia Manuel Kaisiepo --, and two
Catholic ministers, -- Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources
Purnomo Yusgiantoro and State Minister of the Environment Sonny
Keraf -- took their oaths on the Bible.

Minister of Culture and Tourism I Gde Ardika was accompanied
by a Hindu monk.

In an apparent display of nationalism, Bungaran sang loudly
when a military band played the national anthem, Indonesia Raya,
to close the ceremony.

Not only abundant burdens await the new ministers, a Rp 12.6
million monthly salary, a Volvo sedan and an official residence
in South Jakarta are ready for them.

After the inauguration, the President and Vice President
congratulated the new ministers and their spouses.

They then proceeded to the adjacent Merdeka Palace terrace for
an official photograph session with the President, First Lady
Sinta Nuriyah, Megawati and her husband Taufik Kiemas.

The half-paralyzed First Lady showed her strong determination
to stand for the photo session. Megawati held her left hand while
Abdurrahman held her right.

"Mas, could you stand closer to me?" the First Lady asked her
husband.

Taufik could not hide the pride he felt in his wife, Megawati.
"She will be busier," he said after the photo session.

Most of the members of the previous Cabinet were also present,
including former coordinating minister for economy, finance and
industry Kwik Kian Gie, former finance minister Bambang Sudibyo.
Some of them looked nervous but anxious to hide it.

Their adjutants slowly abandoned them and focused more on
their new bosses and spouses.

"Now I have to serve my new boss," a new adjutant to State
Minister of Administrative Reforms Ryaas Rasyid said when asked
about his old boss. He previously worked for Ryaas's predecessor
Rear Adm. (ret) Freddy Numberi.

Freddy said he was among the less fortunate compared to his
colleagues in the Cabinet. He said he had to abandon his job as
Irian Jaya governor, which would have lasted until 2003. He also
had to retire from military service after joining the Cabinet.

Another native Irianese, Manuel Kaisiepo, looked uneasy with
the tight protocol. As a journalist of Kompas daily, he used to
wear casual shirts.

"As a journalist I used to criticize ministers, but now I will
become an easy target," he joked to reporters.

A problem of coordination among the ministers soon became
apparent. Minister of Settlement and Regional Infrastructure Erna
Witular had to ask her colleagues about the venue of a planned
meeting between Coordinating Minister for the Economy Rizal Ramli
and ministers under his jurisdiction.

According to Erna, the meeting was initially set to be held at
the State Logistics Agency (Bulog) office, but then was moved to
Merdeka Palace.

"Do you know where we will actually meet?" she asked Sarwono
and Hikam.

At some ministries, such as the Ministry of Energy and Mineral
Resources and the Ministry of Defense, the former ministers
officially handed over their offices to their successors.

Juwono Sudarsono transferred his duty to new defense minister
Mahfud MD in a brief ceremony.

The Indonesia Military (TNI) top brass, including TNI
Commander Adm. Widodo A.S., and Army Chief of Staff Gen. Tyasno,
attended the ceremony.

In his speech, Mahfud stressed that he would quickly learn
about the management of the ministry, and vowed to improve the
military's professionalism.

"I know I am a new face in defense affairs but I will learn,"
Mahfud promised. (prb/dja)