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.