Ousted Marzuki back in Gus Dur's Cabinet lineup

Ousted Marzuki back in Gus Dur's Cabinet lineup

JAKARTA (JP): Only one month after his dismissal as attorney
general, Marzuki Darusman was installed as Cabinet Secretary on
Thursday, reclaiming his uncompleted mission to eradicate
corruption.

Speaking to reporters after his inauguration at the State
Palace, Marzuki said President Abdurrahman Wahid had agreed that
his responsibilities would include the eradication of corruption
and law enforcement.

Abdurrahman also designated Marzuki, who is deputy chairman of
the Golkar Party, as an interlocutor to improve the President's
relations with the House of Representatives (DPR).

"This Cabinet secretary position is mandated to promote law
enforcement and combat corruption. These are among the
requirements I presented to the President as a precondition for
my accepting the appointment," Marzuki said.

In brief remarks made before Marzuki's induction, the
President said Marzuki would face tough challenges in the course
of his duty to supervise the functions of ministers.

"This is a very heartfelt duty," the President said, before
asking new State Secretary Maftuh Basyuni to swear in Marzuki on
his behalf.

The President fired four Cabinet members including Marzuki on
June 1, only days after Marzuki cleared him of involvement in the
Bulogate and Bruneigate scandals. Both scandals were primary
issues leading to the House's demand that the President account
for his government's poor performance on Aug. 1 in a People's
Consultative Assembly (MPR) special session.

After Marzuki's removal, the President appointed then minister
of justice and human rights Baharuddin Lopa as Marzuki's
successor. Lopa died on Tuesday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Cabinet secretary at the time, Marsillam Simanjuntak, took
over from Lopa as justice minister, while maintaining his
original post.

"The position of Cabinet secretary is also related to efforts
to find a solution from the current situation, which needs to be
addressed," Marzuki said when asked whether his new promotion was
linked to the President's efforts to seek a compromise with major
political parties.

Marzuki said he had received approval from Golkar chairman
Akbar Tandjung to accept the new post.

"This (appointment) is supported by Pak Akbar as Golkar
chairman," Marzuki said.

Marzuki's appointment on Thursday came just three days after
the President appointed Vice Cabinet Secretary Erman Radjagukguk
as acting Cabinet secretary and Suparman as acting attorney
general.

Erman, who is also a professor of law at the University of
Indonesia, read out Presidential Decree No. 219, issued on July
5, outlining Marzuki's promotion.

Showing obvious disappointment at the brevity of his posting,
Erman said that he had known from the beginning that he would not
hold the position permanently.

Marsillam, who has known Erman for many years, was also
reluctant to comment about the President's sudden decision on
Marzuki. "I am not supposed to know everything," Marsillam said.

Separately, Akbar said he knew about Marzuki's new position
just after the swearing in ceremony. He insisted that Marzuki's
readmission to the Cabinet has no relation at all with the
current political deadlock between the President and the House.

"Marzuki always tries as hard as possible to assist Gus Dur,"
Akbar argued, saying that the new appointment is the consequence
of personal relations between Marzuki and the President. (prb)