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)