No reshuffle planned, Habibie says

JAKARTA (JP): President B.J. Habibie has assured his 34-strong cabinet there would not be any reshuffle until a new government is formed next year, Minister of Information Lt. Gen. Muhammad Yunus said on Wednesday.

Habibie led the cabinet meeting on political affairs and security which, among other things, listened to Attorney General A.M. Ghalib's report on his office's investigation into former president Soeharto's wealth. Armed Forces Commander Gen. Wiranto also reported on the Nov. 13 shooting of student protesters by the military on the Semanggi cloverleaf and the unrest of last weekend in Ketapang, West Jakarta.

Among the results of the meeting, according to Yunus, was that Habibie would announce later this week an independent team to investigate his predecessor. He also refuted rumors of an impending cabinet reshuffle.

Yunus said the investigation team would comprise prominent and respected figures. The government would not interfere, he promised.

"We can't reveal the names of those figures yet. Some of them have expressed their readiness, but we would not want to have them declare they were not ready after we announced their names," said Yunus after attending the six-hour meeting at the Bina Graha presidential office.

All cabinet members were present at the meeting during which Habibie also said he should be able to implement the 12 decrees of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) before the next presidential election.

The President hoped the government would be able to meet the Assembly's mandate of clean governance and investigation into alleged corruption by retired and active officials, including Soeharto, before the end of February next year.

Also during the meeting, Wiranto played to the cabinet a recording of the Black Friday incident, pointing out that the student demonstration was not as peaceful as many people believed.

"There are attempts to weaken and damage ABRI (Armed Forces)," Yunus noted.

Coordinating Minister for Economy, Finance and Industry Ginandjar Kartasasmita reported that the country's economy had been showing encouraging signs despite ongoing street demonstrations.

"Inflation for the first three weeks in November is still zero percent," Yunus quoted Ginandjar as saying.

Ginandjar said the market became accustomed to street protests as long they did not turn violent.

In an apparent reaction to growing rumors of a reshuffle, the President pointed out that he wanted to retain his team until the presidential election next year.

"There will be no cabinet reshuffle until the MPR General Session, or until our Mission Impossible is accomplished," Yunus quoted the President as promising.

Many people have speculated the President intends to replace Minister of Home Affairs Lt. Gen. Syarwan Hamid with Yogyakarta Governor Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono X and Attorney General Ghalib in a bid to appease the popular distrust of his government.

During the media briefing, Yunus was accompanied by Coordinating Minister for Development Supervision and State Administrative Reforms Hartarto.

Journalists actually expected that the cabinet would announce several major measures to bring Soeharto to court. Hartarto only said the government would announce it at the appropriate time. (prb)