Susilo mulls 'one-roof' govt

Susilo mulls 'one-roof' govt

Tiarma Siboro and Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post, Bogor/Jakarta

To build an effective government, president-elect Susilo Bambang
Yudhoyono is preparing a system that places the presidential and
vice presidential offices and state secretariat under one roof --
literally.

Political expert Andi Mallarangeng said after a closed-door
meeting with Susilo and his team on Monday that the new concept
would require the president and vice president to share the same
building.

Since the country's independence in 1945, the president and
vice president have had separate offices located some two
kilometers apart. The separation was said to be necessary because
each had his or her own duties.

"The structure (of the presidential office) will more or less
be the same as the current one. But to make it more effective and
dynamic, there will be greater integration," Mallarangeng said.

The presidential office will supply data not only to the
president, but to the vice president and the state secretary,
according to Mallarangeng.

Apart from Mallarangeng, political analyst Denny JA,
economists Muhammad Chatib Basri and Joyo Winoto, Susilo's
advisor on religious affairs Muhammad Fuad and businessman M.
Lutfi were among the key figures invited for consultations at
Susilo's home in Bogor.

Earlier in the morning, Susilo held talks with his vice
president-elect Jusuf Kalla and advisors Yusril Ihza Mahendra,
who is the justice and human rights minister, and Adm. (ret)
Widodo A.S., a former Indonesian Military (TNI) chief.

Susilo also invited Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources
Purnomo Yusgiantoro to brief the former about the fluctuating
world oil prices and its impact on Indonesia. Purnomo refused to
comment on his meeting with Susilo.

"Within the first 100 days in office, Pak Susilo will issue a
policy on fuel prices. The main concern, however, is to keep fuel
supplies secure ahead of Idul Fitri, Christmas and New Year
despite the volatile oil prices," Mallarangeng said.

Beginning on Wednesday, Susilo will start interviewing his
ministerial candidates.

Kalla said the morning meeting focused on three priority
programs the new government would pursue in the first 100 days.

Susilo has called for a smooth transition period, which is to
include the Cabinet formation, putting his programs into action
and the revision of the 2005 budget draft.

Kalla said the next Cabinet would differ from the current one,
as it would consist of 34 ministers, including two new
ministries.

He said the office of coordinating minister for political and
security affairs would also handle legal matters, particularly
those involving the eradication of corruption. The office of
coordinating minister for the economy would focus on economic
recovery, while the office of coordinating minister for people's
welfare would concentrate on improvement of national education.

Yusril added that Susilo would revive the state minister of
sports affairs and the ministry of trade, which, since 1998 has
been merged with ministry of industry. The office of the state
minister of sports and youth affairs was given the axe by former
president Abdurrahman Wahid, who served between 1999 and 2001.

Susilo, according to Yusril, would maintain the office of
state minister of state enterprises and the National Intelligence
Agency (BIN), but with some changes.

"The office of the state minister of state enterprises will no
longer control all state companies, which now exceed 200. Several
state enterprises will fall under the supervision of related
ministries to simplify the chain of coordination between them,"
Yusril said.

As for BIN, Susilo is reviewing the status of its chief, who
is normally accorded a ministerial level rank, Yusril added.

Separately, Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) analyst
Syamsudin Harris suggested that the Cabinet comprise just 25
ministers as in the era of decentralization some of the central
government's powers had been delegated to regional
administrations.

He said the central government should focus on international
relations, defense affairs, justice affairs, religious affairs
and financial affairs.