Sudden reshuffle
President Abdurrahman Wahid has been harshly criticized for suddenly reshuffling his Cabinet. Was this move for the better or worse? In the replacement of Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and the suspension of National Police chief Gen. Suroyo Bimantoro, I would say that the President's actions were understandable. I am sure if we were in his shoes, we would do the same. This is because what the two men did, prior to the reshuffle, was politically disadvantageous to the President, and from a management perspective, the two men's actions were intolerable.
As they are subordinate to the President, they should not publicly voice their disagreements with the head of state. By doing so, it sends Abdurrahman's opponents the signal that the President lacks support even from members of his Cabinet. If they disagree with the President, they should resign from their post. I remember a few years ago, the health minister of Peru warned Peruvians not to consume fish for the time being as the sea around Peru had been contaminated with industrial waste. When the fishermen's organization protested, then president Fujimori demonstrated that the fish was still safe to consume by eating raw fish. The next day the health minister resigned. If I may suggest, the President should also replace the minister of defense, Army chief of staff and Navy chief of staff because they too had acted like Pak Susilo and Gen. Suroyo Bimantoro.
On June 3, 2001 Gen. Suroyo Bimantoro told police generals in a speech that the police must stay away from politics. To me, his actions are to the contrary. If he was a professional, he would obey his superior's orders. By soliciting support from the other police generals and then going to the House of Representatives (DPR) to garner more support, he was acting more like a politician than a police officer. As Abdurrahman Wahid is still the president of this country, he has to obey his orders, otherwise he may be charged with insubordination. If after his resignation, the DPR disagrees with the President's decision, he may be reinstated as the National Police chief.
M. SULHAN ASKANDAR
Jakarta