SBY, Kalla to hold weekly meeting

SBY, Kalla to hold weekly meeting

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY) and Vice President Jusuf
Kalla agreed to hold a weekly meeting on Mondays to evaluate the
performance of the Cabinet, a move that apparently is also aimed
at easing political rivalry between the two.

Susilo said that a regular evaluation would help improve the
overall performance of the bureaucracy.

"The Vice President and I really want the bureaucratic
machinery to run well," he said following a meeting with Kalla on
Monday at the State Palace.

The new plan came amid growing signs that the Vice President,
who is a wealthy businessman and was recently elected leader of
the powerful Golkar Party, the largest political party in the
House of Representatives, has been increasingly dominant in
decision making process in various areas, unlike past vice
presidents who were mostly relegated to performing a ceremonial
role. This development has seemingly intensified the rivalry
between the two.

Analysts earlier said that the rivalry between Susilo and
Kalla had penetrated the top level of the bureaucracy, slowing
down the implementation of various government policies.

A series of incidents, including one that led to the
resignation of a top official at the Office of the Vice
President, have often been cited as proof of the political
rivalry between Susilo and Kalla.

Susilo has not specifically said that there would be division
of work between him and the Vice President, as had been suggested
by some analysts to help defuse the situation.

Susilo said that what he wanted to see was a bureaucratic
machinery -- from the highest to the lowest level -- working with
"the same culture, pace and responsibility."

Susilo, who won the country's first ever direct presidential
election in September, received strong criticism after his
Cabinet team failed to live up to expectations in many areas
during the first 100 days of the new administration.

The current administration is facing challenging tasks ahead
including attracting new investment and eradicating rampant
corruption to help boost the country's economic growth to an
average rate of 6 percent per year and provide more jobs for the
millions of unemployed.

Meanwhile, Kalla said that the weekly evaluation of the
Cabinet would help ensure that each ministry implements its
respective agenda.

"Every Monday, we will talk about all the work (of the Cabinet
members)," said the Vice President, following the President's
brief press conference.

Elsewhere, Susilo complained about the slow progress of reform
within the bureaucracy.

"It is very disturbing that the bureaucracy does not work well
although the Cabinet ministers have attempted to implement good
governance and efficiency," he asserted.

Susilo added that he had met with governors across the country
to seek ways to accelerate reform.