Rizal Ramli and the Cabinet

Rizal Ramli and the Cabinet

Readers would appreciate the timely investigative article by
your staff writer, Meidyatama Suryodiningrat on the Jostling and
tossing, the making of the Cabinet in your paper dated Oct. 22,
2004. Your staff should be credited for the account of last
minute maneuverings to help us understand the kind of presidency
we can expect under President Yudhoyono.

The reference to former minister Rizal Ramli being dropped at
the last minute because of his perceived "anti IMF" leanings
caught my attention. The former minister seemed to be a 'victim'
of a conspiracy by those opposed to his presence in the cabinet.

Dr. Rizal Ramli's "anti IMF" position during the Abdurrahman
Wahid administration has been vindicated by the IMF Independent
Evaluation Report acknowledging their 'mistakes' during the
Indonesia crisis. His stand to put in place a Supervisory Board
to oversee governance in our independent Bank Indonesia was also
vindicated when the amended BI Law 2003 incorporated such a
structure, and now proudly touted as a key reform, agenda by the
IMF.

In the Oct. 26 Tempo Magazine, a similar investigative account
showed that Rizal Ramli was slated for the Coordinating Minister
for the Economy, Finance or State Enterprises portfolios by the
President himself. He declined to accept the last minute offer of
the Ministry of Industry by Vice President Jusuf Kalla claiming
he would better serve the nation in a portfolio that he could
contribute more effectively.

We must salute Dr. Rizal Ramli for his professionalism and
selfless stand to decline a ministerial appointment. Many others
have lobbied and would 'jumped' at any opportunity to be a member
of the cabinet.

Dr. Rizal Ramli has showed to Indonesians that there are still
credible people in our midst who are willing to stand up for
their principle. They may be in the minority but we must
encourage them to be more active in serving our nation's
democratic transition.

Phone Nuryadin, Pondok Aren, Tangerang