Susilo to go the 'West Wing' way

Susilo to go the 'West Wing' way

Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post, Bogor

Apart from the ministers sitting in the Cabinet, the
administration of president-elect Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono will
rely greatly on the work of his aides, who will run the
presidential office.

Emulating the United States president's White House, Susilo's
office will deal with various issues ranging from building up the
president's image to evaluating the performance of his Cabinet
members.

The office, comprising Susilo's most trusted aides, will also
serve as a presidential think-tank in providing suggestions for
the president in diverse fields, including developing bilateral
and multilateral relations. The office will also conduct research
to examine public acceptance of government policies.

"If necessary, the office can suggest that the president
reshuffle his Cabinet after finding that his aides are
underperforming. But, of course, all decisions will remain within
the prerogative of the president," political analyst Denny JA
told reporters after a meeting at Susilo's residence at the Puri
Cikeas Indah housing complex in Bogor, West Java.

It was the second consultation meeting to define the structure
of Susilo's government before he starts interviewing his
prospective ministers on Wednesday.

Susilo obtained a master's degree in management from Webster
University in the U.S., while pursuing his military career.
Earlier this month he was awarded a doctorate in agroeconomics
from the Bogor Institute of Agriculture.

Denny, formerly the director of the Indonesian Survey
Institute (LSI), said the presidential office would also oversee
the performance of the National Security Council (DKN) and
National Economic Council (DEN) -- two councils which will be
tasked with providing suggestions in general to the president
over relevant issues.

Another advisor to Susilo, Andi Mallarangeng, said the
presidential office would help the government work effectively
and convince the public to accept of its policies although they
might be unpopular, such as a possible fuel price hike within his
first 100 days in power.

"The presidency is one of the high institutions of state. But
since the institution consists of only one figure, he needs the
backing of a strong team to ensure that his policies are
communicated well to the public," Mallarangeng said.

Denny said the establishment of a strong presidential office
was inspired by Susilo's predecessors, who lost the public trust
as they neared the ends of their terms.

"As the first country's president who won the first
democratic, direct presidential election, Pak SBY should work
hard to complete reform, beginning from his first 100 days in
office and lasting until his term ends," Denny said, referring to
Susilo by his initials.

The office is part of Susilo's plan to restructure the state
secretariat, which plays a prominent role in dealing with the
day-to-day activities of the president.

"The office will serve the president around the clock," he
said.

Denny, also a U.S. educated scholar, acknowledged that
Susilo's presidential office would adopt the U.S. administrative
system.

In the U.S., the president is assisted by two strong teams:
the Cabinet, which deals with day-to-day state activities and
policies, and the so-called White House structure, which tackles
various issues, including the presidential office's
administration, public liaison, cabinet affairs,
intergovernmental affairs and protocol matters.

The form of the White House structure can vary, depending on
the president's policies, but the structure always consists of a
chief of staff who is assisted by several deputies. In the
administration of the incumbent, George W. Bush, the chief of
staff is assisted by the deputy chief of staff for policy and
deputy chief of staff for operations.