Ministers meet to discuss advice

Ministers meet to discuss advice

JAKARTA (JP): Confusion again was evident within the ranks of
the administration as a hastily scheduled Cabinet meeting on
Sunday was suddenly downgraded to a plenary ministerial meeting
in the absence of both the President and Vice President.

The 3 p.m. meeting, which was originally due to be held at the
presidential office, was moved at the last minute to the office
of Coordinating Minister of Political, Social and Cultural
Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

Vice President Megawati Soekarnoputri was expected to attend,
and her sudden cancellation of a trip to Malang, East Java, to
attend an Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle rally was
believed to be due to her planned attendance in the meeting.

But without a clear explanation Megawati at short notice opted
not to attend the meeting despite canceling her trip to East
Java.

When asked by journalists Vice Presidential Secretary Bambang
Kesowo simply replied: "Ibu is at home."

Cabinet Secretary Marsilam Simanjuntak insisted that Megawati
was never scheduled to lead the ministerial meeting.

"This is a technical meeting not a cabinet meting and Ibu
Megawati was never scheduled to attend it," Marsilam said.

An official from the office of the Vice President said that
Megawati was "resting" in Bogor, West Java.

Those attending the three-hour meeting described it as a
meeting to unite perceptions on the political situation and
review recommendations made by a team of ministers to end the
current political stalemate.

"The recommendations from the ministers, is not merely to
fulfill the instructions from the President and Vice President,
but should be considered as the government's contribution toward
ending the serious political problems," Susilo said in a written
statement at the meeting read out by the ministry's spokesman I
Wayan Karya.

Without going into specifics, Susilo underlined that the
recommendation took into account all dimensions to the problem
including constitutional, political, government management,
national and international political circumstances.

"But, it seems that all options are problematic, so we hope
the country will find a peaceful solution with the least risk and
cost to the nation," Susilo said in the statement.

Susilo said the results of the meeting would be submitted to
the Vice president and President as soon as possible.

"The recommendations are the result of a thorough discussion
in this meeting," he remarked.

The recommendations were drafted by a team of seven ministers
comprising Susilo, Coordinating Minister for the Economy Rizal
Ramli, Minister of Home Affairs and Regional Autonomy Surjadi
Soedirdja, Minister of Foreign Affairs Alwi Shihab, Minister of
Defense Mahfud MD, Minister of Justice and Human Rights
Baharuddin Lopa and Attorney General Marzuki Darusman.(02/dja)