Observers call on Cabinet members to disclose wealth

Observers call on Cabinet members to disclose wealth

JAKARTA (JP): Observers said here on Monday members of the
Cabinet which is expected to be announced on Tuesday should
publicly disclose their assets before and after their
appointments.

Hermawan Sulistyo of the National Institute of Science said
Cabinet members, President Abdurrahman Wahid and Vice President
Megawati Soekarnoputri should also be willing to be audited.

"This move is necessary as an initial step toward their
accountability to the public," Hermawan said.

Abdurrahman, popularly known as Gus Dur, is facing pressure to
establish a "New-Order free", clean and professional Cabinet.

National Commission on Human Rights member B.N. Marbun shared
Hermawan's view, saying the disclosure of their wealth would help
the new ministers gain the public's trust.

"It's normal and necessary if we wish to begin a new era which
is clean and free from corruption, that all government officials
be obliged to disclose their wealth," Marbun, who is a former
House of Representatives legislator, was quoted by Antara as
saying.

He said he was afraid that without such a requirement,
government officials would be able to evade taxes.

"The declaration of wealth does not violate human rights. Even
in Europe, people have to register all of their assets," Marbun
said.

Analysts have predicted the new Cabinet will be dominated by
new faces. They also anticipate the Cabinet will consist of
between 20 and 25 ministers, smaller than the previous Cabinet,
and that some ineffective ministries will be disbanded.

There is some concern, however, that a number of people who
served as ministers under disgraced former president Soeharto
will be appointed to the Cabinet.

People's Consultative Assembly Speaker Amien Rais said on
Monday it would be "impossible" to set up a Cabinet entirely free
of the New Order because "there has to be room for compromise".

"One or two (old faces) will make sense, but five or six are
too many," Amien said.

Sociopolitical observer Franz Magnis Suseno shared Amien's
opinion, saying "compromise is common in politics".

"If the president chooses some old faces for his Cabinet, we
have to accept that as a reality. If the person is clean, we have
no reason to reject him or her," Franz said.

Meanwhile in Semarang, Central Java, an official of
Abdurrahman's National Awakening Party (PKB), Abdul Kadir, called
on Abdurrahman to exclude from his Cabinet people who served as
ministers under Soeharto.

"We hope that Gus Dur will set up a team of honest,
professional and modest people," Abdul said.

Sources close to Abdurrahman said a number of ministries,
including the religious affairs, foreign affairs and education
affairs ministries, could be filled from the ranks of the PKB.

Analysts said some ministers may come from the "axis force", a
coalition of Muslim-based political parties which backed
Abdurrahman's presidential nomination, while a number of economic
officials could come from Megawati's Indonesian Democratic Party
of Struggle.

Analysts also said Abdurrahman was likely to appoint a number
of Golkar Party members in return for the party's support in the
presidential election.

According to analysts, Abdurrahman's most pressing task is to
revive the country's economy and reopen the investigation into
the alleged corruption by Soeharto.

In Yogyakarta, political observer Pratikno of Gadjah Mada
University said it was important to accommodate different
political views with seats in the Cabinet.

"Individuals from the eastern part of the country must be
accommodated to suppress separatist sentiments," Pratikno said.

In Bandung, historian Ahmad Mansur Suryanegara of Padjajaran
University predicted President Abdurrahman would appoint a
minister for maritime affairs. (04/05/43/44/45/har)