Observers stress need for professional Cabinet

Observers stress need for professional Cabinet

JAKARTA (JP): Observers have emphasized the need to recruit
professionals, instead of people linked to political parties, for
the new Cabinet.

Economist Sri Adiningsih from the Yogyakarta-based Gadjah Mada
University said the government was facing more daunting tasks in
the economic field as the public and market expect better
performance of the government.

"The next revamped Cabinet should comprise professionals,
particularly those who will make up the economic team. More
professionals will reduce a potential conflict of interest within
the administration," she told The Jakarta Post recently.

"The fact that the government is managing huge assets tends to
attract a conflict of interest. If that happens, it will surely
hinder efforts to form an effective government."

President Abdurrahman Wahid announced earlier that 60 percent
of the seats in the Cabinet would be filled by professionals
while the remaining would be given to political parties.

Many have aired the demand that professionals should hold
strategic posts, such as in the economy, finance and industry,
legal affairs and political and security affairs.

Adiningsih suggested the government should also revamp the
second line of government posts under the ministers in a bid to
keep the bureaucracy clear of political contamination.

"Reshuffling the Cabinet isn't enough to restore public and
market trust in the government. It should also be followed by a
further reshuffle of the lower posts under the ministries," she
said.

She said many second-level posts, such as ministers' advisory
teams and directorate generals, were occupied by people who were
affiliated with political parties or linked to the New Order
regime.

"During the ten months of Abdurrahman's administration, the
promotion of officials to secondary posts was frequently
intervened by political parties and leaders. Thus, reshuffling
the bureaucracy is imperative to rebuild trust in the
government," she said.

The mounting demand for a professional Cabinet was affirmed by
the latest survey conducted by Kompas daily, which revealed that
nearly half the respondents wanted professionals to hold all the
posts in the next Cabinet.

Didiek J. Rachbini, a researcher at the Institute of
Development and Finance (INDEF), echoed those calling for a
professional Cabinet, although he did not care about the
political background of the ministerial candidates.

"A perception that members of political parties are not
professional is, of course, wrong. The most important thing is
that a Cabinet member has a commitment to improve the
government's performance," he said.

A rejection to include politicians in the Cabinet was aired by
the University of Indonesia's Center for Popular Economy
Development (LPEM) researcher, M. Ikhsan.

"The Cabinet needs people who are able and willing to work
hard. The ministers must also have no vested interests while
carrying out their mission to speed up our economic recovery," he
told Antara.

"Economic ministers must be professional because the field is
related to technical matters. Politicians can do nothing there."

Ikhsan, however, acknowledged that some politicians fit the
bill, but they should quit from their political organizations
once they join the Cabinet.

"They should leave their parties behind and be transparent
when it comes to the budget in a bid to prevent them from
misusing it for the interest of their parties," he said.

Meanwhile, a researcher at the Center for Information and
Development Studies (CIDES), Umar Juoro, underscored the market's
acceptance of economic ministers.

"Whoever the ministers are, they must obtain political support
from the House of Representatives (DPR) and be accepted by the
market," he said.

He also emphasized the importance of reorganizing the economic
ministries to increase efficiency.

"It's important, for instance, to unify the ministries of
public works, settlement and regional development and
communication.

"We must also dissolve the state minister of investment and
state enterprises development office. The job to manage state
enterprises must be returned to the finance minister, while the
investment section can be handled by the tourism minister," Umar
said. (44/nvn)