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)