Susilo to confirm role of presidential aides
Susilo to confirm role of presidential aides
Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is set to issue a decree on
Monday to reorganize the state secretariat in an apparent move to
formally accommodate his aides and those of his deputy, who
helped them win the presidency last September.
State Secretary Yusril Ihza Mahendra said on Friday that the
Office of the State Minister of Administrative Reforms was
currently completing the draft of a presidential decree on
special aides to the President, and to Vice President Jusuf
Kalla.
"Currently, there are some people helping the Vice President
and the President. But it is not official. Under the regulations
they cannot be installed officially," Yusril told the press
before a limited Cabinet meeting at the presidential office in
Jakarta.
He said that a number of the aides to Susilo and Kalla were
appointed by directive instead of by presidential decrees as
required by law.
Under the new decree, all the special aides, including
presidential spokespersons, will be posted as special staff
members in the Office of Cabinet Secretary Sudi Silalahi, Yusril
added.
He said the President would have 10 special aides and the Vice
President five, while ministers would each be allowed to appoint
three special aides.
Andi Mallarangeng, an academic-turned-spokesman for the
President, is among those who will be appointed as special aides.
Some former members of the Susilo-Kalla campaign team who
helped them win the July 5 presidential election and the Sept. 20
runoff, will likely also be appointed as special aides, said an
official from the Office of the State Minister of Administrative
Reforms.
Both Susilo and Kalla have also picked several of their
respective aides to sit in their United Indonesia Cabinet and
other state institutions.
Susilo had pledged to form a Cabinet consisting of
professionals during the presidential campaign last year.
The law does not specifically provide for the appointment of
special aides for the President and Vice President. However, the
law allows the President, Vice President and ministers to assign
persons other than civil servants as special members of their
staff.
Special staff members usually come from the private sector, or
are retired civil servants or military officers. Meanwhile,
expert staff members are usually civil servants, including
academics from state-owned universities.
Their duties are not specified but mostly take the form of
providing advice. Special staff members are prohibited from
setting policies.
Former president Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid appointed a
number of his aides as special members.
Yusril said that the new presidential decree was aimed at
coordinating the duties of the state secretariat as currently the
work of the state secretary's office, the cabinet secretary's
office and the vice presidential secretary's office was not
overseen by a specific authority.
"There is no presidential secretary as our administrative
system does not recognize this office, although former president
Gus Dur appointed one," he said.
Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is set to issue a decree on
Monday to reorganize the state secretariat in an apparent move to
formally accommodate his aides and those of his deputy, who
helped them win the presidency last September.
State Secretary Yusril Ihza Mahendra said on Friday that the
Office of the State Minister of Administrative Reforms was
currently completing the draft of a presidential decree on
special aides to the President, and to Vice President Jusuf
Kalla.
"Currently, there are some people helping the Vice President
and the President. But it is not official. Under the regulations
they cannot be installed officially," Yusril told the press
before a limited Cabinet meeting at the presidential office in
Jakarta.
He said that a number of the aides to Susilo and Kalla were
appointed by directive instead of by presidential decrees as
required by law.
Under the new decree, all the special aides, including
presidential spokespersons, will be posted as special staff
members in the Office of Cabinet Secretary Sudi Silalahi, Yusril
added.
He said the President would have 10 special aides and the Vice
President five, while ministers would each be allowed to appoint
three special aides.
Andi Mallarangeng, an academic-turned-spokesman for the
President, is among those who will be appointed as special aides.
Some former members of the Susilo-Kalla campaign team who
helped them win the July 5 presidential election and the Sept. 20
runoff, will likely also be appointed as special aides, said an
official from the Office of the State Minister of Administrative
Reforms.
Both Susilo and Kalla have also picked several of their
respective aides to sit in their United Indonesia Cabinet and
other state institutions.
Susilo had pledged to form a Cabinet consisting of
professionals during the presidential campaign last year.
The law does not specifically provide for the appointment of
special aides for the President and Vice President. However, the
law allows the President, Vice President and ministers to assign
persons other than civil servants as special members of their
staff.
Special staff members usually come from the private sector, or
are retired civil servants or military officers. Meanwhile,
expert staff members are usually civil servants, including
academics from state-owned universities.
Their duties are not specified but mostly take the form of
providing advice. Special staff members are prohibited from
setting policies.
Former president Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid appointed a
number of his aides as special members.
Yusril said that the new presidential decree was aimed at
coordinating the duties of the state secretariat as currently the
work of the state secretary's office, the cabinet secretary's
office and the vice presidential secretary's office was not
overseen by a specific authority.
"There is no presidential secretary as our administrative
system does not recognize this office, although former president
Gus Dur appointed one," he said.