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.