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)