Susilo to set up security and economic councils

Susilo to set up security and economic councils

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Soon after his inauguration on Wednesday, President Susilo
Bambang Yudhoyono is expected to announce the establishment of
the National Security Council and the National Economic Council,
along with the much-anticipated Cabinet line-up.

The two councils, which are modeled on the similar Cabinet
structure of the United States government, will advise the
president on matters related to the economy and security, the two
most crucial issues of any administration.

There have been no words from Susilo or his inner circle about
how the two councils will take shape, leaving observers guessing
as to what they will be like.

If the planned councils are to resemble those of the U.S., the
function of the National Security Council (NSC) will be to advise
and assist the president on national security and foreign policy.

The U.S. NSC, established in 1947 based on the National
Security Act, also serves as the president's principal arm for
coordinating the policies among various government agencies.

The regular members of the council are the vice president, the
state secretary, the secretary of the treasury, the defense
secretary, and the assistant to the president for national
security affairs.

Chairpersons of key institutions are ex-officio members of the
council. The chairman of the joint chief of staff is the military
advisor to the council and the director of the Central
Intelligence Agency is the intelligence advisor.

The chief of staff to the president, counsel to the president
and assistant to the president for economic policy are invited to
every NSC meeting, as well as the attorney general. The heads of
other executive departments and agencies, as well as other senior
officials, are invited to NSC meetings when appropriate.

The most influential position in the NSC is the national
security advisor, currently held by Condoleezza Rice, who acts as
a principal source of input on foreign affairs.

During the Clinton administration, the NSC membership was
expanded to include the secretary of the treasury, the U.S.
representative in the United Nations, and the newly created
assistant to the president for economic policy (who was also the
head of the National Economic Council).

Established in 1993, membership of the National Economic
Council (NEC) comprises numerous department and agency heads
within the administration, whose policy jurisdiction impacts on
the nation's economy.

The council director works in conjunction with the officials
to coordinate and implement the president's economic-policy
objectives.

The director has numerous assistants who produce reports on
the following issues: agriculture, commerce, energy, financial
markets, fiscal policy, health care, labor and social security.

By executive order, the NEC has four principal functions: to
coordinate policy-making for domestic and international economic
issues, to coordinate economic policy advice to the president, to
ensure that policy decisions and programs are consistent with the
president's economic goals, and to monitor the implementation of
the president's economic policy agenda.