People express hopes for the coming Cabinet

People express hopes for the coming Cabinet

JAKARTA (JP): Different groups of people have expressed their
own expectations of the lineup of the forthcoming Cabinet, which
is reportedly to be announced on Wednesday.

In Mataram, West Nusa Tenggara, speaker of the province's
legislative council Djamaluddin Adam lamented on Saturday that
nobody from his province had become a minister since the country
declared independence 56 years ago.

"We've been waiting for 56 years, but no one from West Nusa
Tenggara has ever been trusted with a Cabinet post, despite the
fact that the province has many good people," Djamaluddin was
quoted by Antara as saying. He cited examples such as the current
Governor of West Nusa Tenggara, Harun Al Rasyid, political
analyst Affan Gafar, Din Syamsuddin, a noted figure in
Muhammadiyah (Muslim organization) and political observer Burhan
Magenda.

"Therefore, the current administration must think about
appointing a West Nusa Tenggara figure as minister. This is very
important to avoid allegations that the province has been
neglected like a "step-son".

Meanwhile, in Jakarta, Indonesian Women's Exponent (EPI)
expressed its hope that around 20 percent of the new Cabinet
would be women.

In an official statement read by one of its executives, former
state minister of women's roles Sulasikin Murpratomo, the
organization said that the appointment of Megawati Soekarnoputri
as the new president was the right moment for women to join in
the nation's development more actively.

"The reform movement will be nothing unless women's values and
dignity are preserved. EPI demands that discrimination against
women be eliminated," said Murpratomo.

Vice President Hamzah suggested on Friday that most ministers
should be recruited from political parties in an effort to win
the parties' support of the new government.

Chairman of the United Development Party's executive board
Bachtiar Chamsyah hailed Hamzah, saying that political parties
deserved more seats (in the Cabinet) than nonpartisan
professionals.

Bachtiar said that his party would only get two seats, as the
vice presidential post was already held by a party member. "The
Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle will only get five seats,
instead of ten like it got in the past, because its chairperson
has been elected president," he said.

While people were busy with the cabinet lineup, President
Megawati Soekarnoputri was in Makassar, South Sulawesi, to
officiate several projects on Saturday.

Freddy

In a related development, Indonesian Ambassador to Italy,
Malta and Albania Freddy Numberi said in Palu, Central Sulawesi
on Saturday that the new ministers must be free from the
political clout of the New Order regime.

"They must posses excellent moral and professional track
records," he said, disregarding some people's hope that 60
percent of ministerial posts could be filled by politicians and
40 percent by nonpartisan professionals.

After speaking at a seminar on development on Saturday, Freddy
expressed his confidence that President Megawati Soekarnoputri
had a good "sense of consideration" when asking people to join
her Cabinet.

Freddy, who hails from the easternmost province of Irian Jaya,
had joined Abdurrahman Wahid's Cabinet as state minister of
administrative reform for eight months.

"For me once is enough," he said, when asked about his chances
of being reappointed a minister.

Another refusal came from Hidayat Nurwahid, chairman of the
Justice Party when he was offered the post of minister for
religious affairs.

"We (the party) thank those offering me the post. But we have
pledged not to get involved directly with the Cabinet. We want to
dedicate our best to the nation without joining the Cabinet,"
Antara quoted him as saying on Saturday. He didn't reveal who
offered him the post.

The party's then chairman, Nurmahmudi Ismail, had been
appointed minister of forestry by former president Abdurrahman.

"This had resulted in divisions among party officials,"
Hidayat said. (24/sur)