No reshuffle planned, Habibie says

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)