SBY starts selecting his ministers

SBY starts selecting his ministers

Tiarma Siboro and M. Taufiqurrahman, The Jakarta Post, Bogor

Five prospective candidates who would likely fill posts in the
Cabinet of president-elect Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono were summoned
for interviews on Friday, the first time such a mechanism has
been used in the selection of ministers, at least in the public
eye.

Early in the afternoon, daughter of the country's first vice
president Mohammad Hatta, Meutia Hatta, rector of the West Java-
based Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) Kusmayanto Kadiman
and a member of Susilo's campaign team Sofyan Jalil, took turns
in meeting with Susilo, an occasion considered as a recruitment
process for the ministerial posts.

Other candidates, former Indonesian Military (TNI) chief Adm.
(ret) Widodo A.S. and former chairman of the Indonesian Congress
for Youth (KNPI) Adyaksa Dault arrived late Friday at Susilo's
private residence in Cikeas, Bogor for interviews.

Susilo is expected to single out 33 individuals from scores of
prospective candidates for over 30 posts in his Cabinet.

Meutia, who arrived first in the afternoon, said after the
meeting Susilo talked at length with her for about an hour on
nationalism and character building as well as women, cultural and
tourism issues.

"Pak Susilo did not disclose what ministerial post he would
assign for me. But as a civil servant, I am ready to carry out my
job at any ministerial post," she told reporters who flocked
Susilo's private residence.

Meutia currently serves as deputy minister of cultural affairs
at the office of the State Minister for Tourism and Culture.

Speculation was rife that Meutia would be assigned as minister
for social affairs or state minister of women's empowerment.

She left Susilo's residence accompanied by economist Chatib
Basri of the University of Indonesia.

Kusmayanto, who was to meet Susilo after Meutia, said that
Susilo asked him questions on education, telecommunication and
information technology.

"Pak Susilo also asked whether I was a member of a political
party and whether I was willing to discard my political career if
elected as one of his aides," Kusmayanto said, adding that he
received a call early in the morning about the meeting from one
of Susilo's confidants.

Kusmayanto speculated that he might be assigned either for the
post of education minister or state minister for research and
technology.

Shortly after Sofyan -- who has been billed as a candidate for
the state minister for state enterprises or the minister of
communication -- entered Susilo's private room for the interview.

Sofyan said later there was no mention about what ministerial
post Susilo would confer to him. "However, I will learn quickly
and accept any post granted to me and take that as a challenge,"
he said.

He said that Susilo's aide Maj. Gen. (ret) Sudi Silalahi asked
for his presence at Susilo's residence from an early morning
call.

Before the interviews, Susilo met envoys from 17 Middle
Eastern and African countries including Egypt, Saudi Arabia,
Libya, Iraq, Palestine and Yemen.

One of Susilo's spokesman, diplomat Dino Patti Djalal, said
among many issues raised by Susilo during the meeting was the
protection for the bulk of Indonesian migrant workers in the
Middle Eastern countries and the dramatic rise of oil prices
which had dealt a severe blow to the global economy.

Susilo is expected to summon executive director of Bank
Mandiri ECW Nelloe and director of state telecommunication
company PT Telkom Kristiono for interviews on Saturday.