Megawati's Cabinet, the best since Soeharto?

Megawati's Cabinet, the best since Soeharto?

After trying to make everyone happy, a further test for
President Megawati Soekarnoputri will be in facing various
demands from political parties, writes political analyst J.
Soedjati Djiwandono.

JAKARTA (JP): After a rather unusually long wait, President
Megawati Soekarnoputri has finally announced her new Cabinet. The
people seem to have got what they were waiting for. In some
respects it seems to be the best Cabinet lineup since the reform
era started. It has been worth waiting that long.

In the first place, the President seems to have indicated her
courage and determination not to be too dependent on the support
of other political parties. She has relied more on professionals,
retired military officers and her own party members -- most of
whom are professionals themselves -- for key, strategic posts,
with very few members of other political parties in less-than-
strategic positions. This is likely to ensure better
coordination, and greater attention to more urgent problems.

Above all, the economics team is the Cabinet's strongest
point. Headed by Coordinating Minister Dorodjatun Kuntjoro-jakti,
former envoy to Washington and an astute professor of economics
at the University of Indonesia, he holds views that, as I know
them, will ensure better relations and cooperation with the West,
including international institutions, particularly the United
Nations, the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and the
Consultative Group on Indonesia, as well as western nations in
general.

Accompanied by Dr. Boediono as minister of finance, a good
longtime professor of economics at Gadjah Mada University, a man
of modesty and integrity to boot, the economics team will be an
asset for the restoration of the nation's credibility in the eyes
of the international community. This will be an important factor
for the nation's economic recovery.

To be sure, the restoration of peace and stability, national
as well as regional, is a prerequisite for economic recovery that
will induce foreign as well as domestic investments. This
problem, however, seems to be in the hands of an experienced team
of political and security ministers (such as foreign and security
ministers).

Indeed, some members of political parties, particularly of the
"axis force" comprising Islamic-based political parties, who had
previously rejected Megawati for president because of her gender,
and hence the election of Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid, may think
of Megawati's indebtedness to them for their recent support for
her presidency to replace Gus Dur. They may therefore be somewhat
disappointed with the small and less strategic seats of the
Cabinet allotted to them. And thus, along with the Golkar Party,
they may try in one way or another to stand in the way of
President Megawati's management of the government and in carrying
out her programs.

On her part, however, the President should have the guts to
deal firmly with the undue demands made by the political parties
in return for their political support. She should keep firmly in
mind that, quite apart from their support, constitutionally she
was to take over the presidency in the event of president
Abdurrahman being forced out of office by the People's
Consultative Assembly. She should also keep firmly in mind that
she is to act as head of state and head of government in a
presidential system, rather than in a parliamentary system that
those political parties seem to make it out to be.

Indeed, this is the time for the newly formed Cabinet to get
on the job. The time of merrymaking and festivities attended by
uncouth politicians dizzy with success (in the words of Stalin)
is over. It is no longer time for complacency.

The reform process should be kept on the right track. Then the
presidency, for the first time held by a woman, in itself a
matter of pride for the whole nation as a symbol of the
culmination of women's emancipation in this country, will not be
further tarnished by what had looked like sluggishness, lack of a
sense of crisis and of urgency, in the pattern of the notorious
Asian way.

The party is over. Get on with the job!