Susilo keeps public guessing about Cabinet shakeup

Susilo keeps public guessing about Cabinet shakeup

Rendi A. Witular, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta

Although he said, "It's a beautiful day", the correct song to
describe the situation of key economic minister Aburizal Bakrie,
may be I will survive by Gloria Gaynor.

Being under pressure in the past few months -- especially with
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono receiving intense pressure to
replace him due to what some people describe as a poor
performance -- has apparently not curbed Aburizal's
contentedness, as was evident on Friday.

As he strutted along the corridor heading to the President's
office to attend the first Cabinet meeting after the long Idul
Fitri break, he smiled and greeted reporters covering the event.

"It's a beautiful day today... There's no need to worry about
(a Cabinet shakeup)," he said with a grin, responding to
questions whether he would survive a planned Cabinet shakeup.

Sources close to Susilo said Aburizal would very likely keep
his job, after a vote of confidence from Vice President Jusuf
Kalla and the Golkar Party. Before becoming a minister, Aburizal
was known as a successful businessman as well as a top politician
with Golkar.

In contrast to the bounce in Aburizal's step, Minister of
Finance Jusuf Anwar trudged heavily down the hall to the
President's office as he stared blankly at newly displayed photos
of the president on the wall.

"I don't know about the reshuffle. It depends on the
President ... The agenda of today's meeting is also unclear,"
Jusuf stated.

Being a career bureaucrat at the finance ministry, Jusuf has
no alliance to any political party.

State Minister of National Development Planning Sri Mulyani
Indrawati would not comment on a possible reshuffle, saying "I am
busy dealing with the bird flu outbreak."

Rumors have spread at the House of Representatives and on the
capital markets that Susilo could announce a reshuffle during the
Cabinet meeting before flying to South Korea to attend the Asia-
Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting.

But even after the 90-minute meeting ended on Friday, the
much-anticipated news was not to be. Minister of Communications
and Information Sofyan Djalil dismissed the Cabinet shakeup
rumors during a press conference.

"The meeting was about the evaluation of the Cabinet
performance during the first year and our hopes for the next
year. There was no discussion of a reshuffle as has been swirling
around in the media," he said.

Sofyan's remark seemed in contradiction of a recent disclosure
by Susilo during a press gathering on Wednesday over a plan to
dismiss one or two ministers for their failure to meet
expectations.

Observers have predicted that Aburizal and Jusuf would be
replaced, considering that they were deemed most responsible for
the current economic volatility; characterized by strong
inflationary pressures.