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)