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