Only 5 of 14 ministers submit campaign leave
Only 5 of 14 ministers submit campaign leave
Fabiola Desy Unidjaja and Moch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post,
Jakarta
Only five of the 14 Cabinet ministers registered as campaigners
for the April 5 legislative election have notified the Cabinet
Secretariat that they will take leave during the campaign period,
a high-ranking official says.
However, even those who have informed the secretariat of their
intentions had not decided on their campaign dates, making it
difficult to schedule Cabinet meetings, Cabinet deputy secretary
Erman Radjagukguk told The Jakarta Post on Monday.
Under Government Regulation No. 9/2004 on general election
campaigns by state officials, Cabinet ministers are permitted to
take a leave of two consecutive days or three days with
intervals.
The same regulation applies to Megawati and Hamzah, although
they are not required to take official leave.
A total of 16 state officials, including President Megawati
Soekarnoputri and Vice President Hamzah Haz, have registered to
campaign in the legislative election, which will be contested by
24 political parties.
State officials who have informed the Secretariat about their
leave are: Minister of Justice and Human Rights Yusril Ihza
Mahendra, Minister of Manpower and Transmigration Jacob Nuwa Wea,
State Minister of Research and Technology M Hatta Rajasa, State
Minister of Women's Empowerment Sri Redjeki Soemaryoto and State
Minister of Communications and Information Syamsul Mu'arif.
Of these, only Yusril has set his campaign dates -- March 15
and March 26.
Minister of Social Affairs Bachtiar Chamsyah and State
Minister of Cooperatives and Small and Medium Enterprises H
Alimarwan Hanan have scheduled their campaigns on weekends and
thus do not need to take leave from their state duties.
Other ministers, including Coordinating Minister for Political
and Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Coordinating
Minister for People's Welfare Jusuf Kalla, have not submitted
their campaign plans, and have until Tuesday to notify the
Secretariat.
"We are expecting complete schedules from all officials,
including the President and Vice President, on Tuesday,"
Radjagukguk said.
National Intelligence Agency (BIN) chief A.M. Hendropriyono is
also listed as campaigner by the ruling Indonesian Democratic
Party of Struggle (PDI-P), of which he is a consultative board
member.
His nomination, however, has drawn strong opposition from
political parties and analysts, who feared that Hendropriyono
would make use of intelligence data to benefit the PDI-P and
party chair Megawati.
Meanwhile, President Megawati and Vice President Hamzah have
yet to discuss their election schedules. It is only known that
neither will be in the capital on the first day of the campaign
period.
Megawati, who is aiming for a full five-year term in the
presidential election, will be in Gianyar, Bali, while Hamzah
will be in Situbondo, East Java.
The two will conduct half-day campaigns and return to the
capital after addressing their supporters.
Cabinet members listed as campaigners
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Name Parties
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1. President Megawati Soekarnoputri Indonesian Democratic Party
of Struggle (PDI-P)
2. Vice President Hamzah Haz United Development Party (PPP)
3. Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (Democratic Party)
4. Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare Jusuf Kalla (Golkar
Party)
5. Minister of Justice and Human Rights Yusril Ihza Mahendra
Crescent Star Party (PBB)
6. Minister of Manpower and Transmigration Minister Jacob Nuwa
Wea PDI-P
7. Minister of Forestry M. Prakosa PDI-P
8. Minister of Resettlement and Regional Infrastructure Soenarno
PDI-P
9. Minister of Social Affairs Bachtiar Chamsyah PPP
10. State Minister of Research and Technology M. Hatta Rajasa
National Mandate Party (PAN)
11. State Minister of Cooperatives and Small-Medium Enterprises
Alimarwan Hanan PPP
12. State Minister of Women's Empowerment Affairs Sri Redjeki
Soemaryoto Golkar
13. State Minister/Head of the National Development Planning
Board Kwik Kian Gie PDI-P
14. State Minister of Revenues and State Companies Laksamana
Sukardi PDI-P
15. State Minister of Communication and Information Syamsul
Mu'arif Golkar
16. National Intelligence Agency A.M. Hendropriyono PDI-P