President stands up for former minister Hamzah

President stands up for former minister Hamzah

JAKARTA (JP): President Abdurrahman Wahid reacted on Monday to
persistent speculation over Hamzah Haz's resignation, saying the
former coordinating minister for people's welfare and poverty
eradication did not resign due to suspicions of graft.

"I would like to say one thing surrounding continued questions
on Hamzah Haz's resignation from the Cabinet ... He did not
resign because of KKN," the President said using the Indonesian
acronym for corruption, collusion and nepotism.

"There's been a lot of misperception about this," Abdurrahman
added.

Hamzah Haz's resignation was one of the first glitches to hit
the new president's Cabinet.

Barely a fortnight after he formed his Cabinet, Abdurrahman
said that several of his ministers were being investigated for
corruption.

He refused to identify them, but rumors immediately circulated
that Hamzah was among them.

Soon after Hamzah resigned. According to Abdurrahman, the
United Development Party chairman wanted to devote more time to
his party.

On Monday, Abdurrahman reiterated that Hamzah resigned because
of pressure from his party, which demanded that he pay more
attention to party affairs than government.

The debacle over the Cabinet did not stop there.

Even Hamzah's replacement, little known Basri Hasanuddin,
quickly became the target of new controversy.

A local press report claimed that Abdurrahman may have
intended someone else for the job, however his staff
misinterpreted his instructions and contacted Basri, a rector at
Hasanuddin University at the time.

Abdurrahman on Monday also refuted this allegation, saying
that Basri had been recommended by his first choice, Indonesia's
Ambassador to the United States Dorodjatun Kuntjorojakti.(04)