Men behind RI's most powerful woman

By Kornelius Purba

JAKARTA (JP): They say that behind every powerful man is a strong woman.

Some are asking if there are any strong men behind Vice President Megawati Soekarnoputri, arguably Indonesia's most powerful woman.

Two men that immediately come to mind are vice presidential secretary Bambang Kesowo and, of course, Megawati's husband, Taufik Kiemas.

Under the official hierarchy at the newly revamped bureaucracy of Office of the Vice President, the most "influential" person should be Bambang Kesowo, who heads the office.

His influence stems from the fact that the enlarged vice presidential staff are all subordinate to him. Technically, all reports from the various deputies in the vice presidential secretary's office have to go through him before they reach Megawati.

President Abdurrahman Wahid signed on April 20 Decree No. 56/2000 formalizing the new structure of this office.

The decree directs the vice presidential secretary to help with the daily tasks of the Vice President and augments the structure of the Vice Presidential Secretariat.

Based on the decree, Bambang has five deputies, with each deputy allocated five bureaus.

Each bureau can have five sections, while each section is allowed to have four subsections.

Different to a presidential secretary, including Cabinet Secretary Marsillam Simanjuntak and Presidential Secretary Djoko Mulyono, Bambang's position is only accorded the rank of a first echelon official, not equal to that of a minister.

Bambang is an old hand at bureaucratic affairs of the state and was known as a trusted legal expert in the presidential palace during the latter part of the Soeharto era.

"Not all of the old things should be changed. In this reform era we must be wise and honest, and we must be able to see the good things from the past," Megawati said about her decision to appoint Bambang as her secretary.

Bambang worked as Cabinet deputy secretary for five years, until September 1998. He was responsible for drafting bills and presidential decrees.

Born on March 27, 1945, Bambang graduated from the Faculty of Law at Gadjah Mada University in 1968. He obtained his master's degree from Harvard Law School in 1983.

The fate of the presidential and vice presidential aides since the formation of the new government have been in stark contrast.

While President Abdurrahman has sacked three secretaries since his election in October, Megawati Soekarnoputri seems quite satisfied with Bambang, whom she appointed in January.

Megawati also seemed to fully entrust Bambang with most of the selection of the deputies in her new office, who were sworn in on July 3.

"Ibu Megawati, I report to you, that I have some friends from the State Secretariat who have wide ranging experiences. As they are no longer used there, I invited them to join (you)," Vice Presidential Secretary Bambang Kesowo reported to Megawati before she swore in the new officials.

Yaumil Agoes Achir, a professor of psychology at the University of Indonesia, was appointed deputy of people's welfare affairs.

Wahyudi Ruwiyanto, who previously worked for the Ministry of National Education, is the deputy for political affairs.

Susiaty, a former senior official at the Ministry of Finance, is deputy for economic affairs.

Gunawan Sumodiningrat, who previously worked for the National Development Planning Board (Bappenas), is in charge of regional and humanitarian affairs.

Bambang Sutanto, a senior official at the State Secretariat under the era of Soeharto and B.J. Habibie, is deputy of administrative affairs.

Former State Secretariat officials Asim Gunawan and Syafrudin Bahar were appointed as the Vice President's interpreter and speech writer, respectively.

According to Bambang, political scientist and Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) observer Cornelis Lay of the Gadjah Mada University was also being recruited as bureau chief for national politics and domestic government affairs.

"The number of civil servants working for Merdeka Selatan Palace (the vice president's office) will remain at about 200, despite the increase in new positions here," Bambang told The Jakarta Post.

Mom

Not surprisingly, some have also noted the role of Megawati's husband, who has stood by her through tough times during the Soeharto era and now accompanies almost everywhere.

For those who are often around him, Taufik does not project any personal sense of inferiority despite the important role of his wife.

Openly calling her by the affectionate pet name of "Ma" (Mom), Taufik is able to place himself well between the husband of the Vice President in the public sphere and father of the family.

During a recent visit to Singapore, it was Taufik who encouraged his wife, known for her reluctance to talk spontaneously to journalists, to meet with members of the media.

"Ma, please talk to the journalists; they are waiting for you," Taufik persuaded his wife after a gathering of the Indonesian community at the Indonesian Embassy there.

Only Taufik himself knows the real influence he has on his wife as vice president.

In conversations with journalists, Taufik said his duty was to accompany his wife as a husband.

He often talks about politics, but quickly brushes off suggestions of his own role in state affairs or party politics.

"Ibu makes her own decisions as Vice President. However, when it comes to family matters, I am the chief," Taufik recently quipped.

Taufik, a self-professed businessman, married Megawati in March 1973. They have two sons and one daughter.