Presidential campaigning has impact on government activities
Presidential campaigning has impact on government activities
Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, Jakarta
Monday's Cabinet meeting chaired by President Megawati
Soekarnoputri was a rare occasion during the campaigning period
for presidential candidates, who include the incumbent and Vice
President Hamzah Haz.
Staying in Jakarta on average only twice a week during the
month-long campaigning period, Megawati last presided over a
Cabinet meeting on oil and gas prices earlier this month.
"We tried to squeeze state affairs into her busy campaign
schedule by allocating two days a week for her to stay in the
capital," a state secretary official said over the weekend.
Officials have said it has been difficult, ahead of the July 5
presidential election, to present paperwork to the President on
several planned regulations or decrees.
"Although daily paperwork continues as usual to be delivered
to the President, some decisions need to be made within the
Cabinet," said the official, requesting anonymity.
As in the previous campaigning period before the April
legislative election, the government has effectively been
dormant, as the President, Vice President and several ministers
have been busy with their party campaigns.
Megawati has been nominated by the Indonesian Democratic Party
of Struggle (PDI-P) and Hamzah by the United Development Party
(PPP).
In the current campaigning period, which ends on July 1,
officials from different parties have also been assigned by their
political parties to support their respective presidential
candidates.
With an expected runoff in the presidential election in
September, a new government is expected only in October.
The Cabinet has seen the withdrawal of minister of
communications Agum Gumelar, who became Hamzah's running mate,
and before that the resignation of coordinating minister of
people's welfare Jusuf Kalla, who is the running mate of former
chief security minister Susilo Bambang Yudhyono.
As stipulated by government regulation No.19/2004 on state
officials joining campaigns, the president and vice president
have 15 days of leave for campaigning.
The other ministers, apart from those who resigned, have three
days of leave to participate in campaigning.
Many have questioned the effectiveness of the Cabinet, from
the legislative campaign period at the end of March, through the
current period to the establishment of the new government in
October.
With only a few months to go, "there is not much that we can
do," a high-ranking official said.