The cabinet's challenge

The cabinet's challenge

With only a few more days to go before the General Session of
the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) comes to a close, public
speculation is becoming concentrated on the line up of the next
cabinet. This is only natural under the circumstances. Although
President Soeharto's reelection has yet to be confirmed, it
almost certainly will be, barring the most unforeseen of
developments. Furthermore, the daunting task of ushering this
nation into the new millennium, with all the opportunities and
challenges which it promises, rests on the shoulders of the next
cabinet. As if that wasn't enough, the task of successfully
guiding the nation through the monetary crisis awaits all those
selected for high office.

Professional observers have repeatedly said that the new
century will be the dawn of a more competitive era. Nations must
be prepared to tussle with one another other in an open global
environment or lose out in the race to benefit from great strides
that have been made, and will continue to be made, in science,
technology and information technology.

To succeed in this rarefied atmosphere, everybody in a
position of leadership must grasp the promise, challenges and
implications of global developments in science and technology. It
is not sufficient for a select number of technocrats alone to
have a mastery of science and technology. Also of great
importance are the administrative, organizational and managerial
capabilities of the nation's leaders. It is they who are
responsible for developing the human and political
infrastructures required to harness the benefits of the new era.

The economic crisis has painfully demonstrated the injurious
consequences of globalization for a nation unprepared for the
increasing interlinkage of states and institutions across the
globe. Lulled by relative prosperity brought about by three
decades of planned development, Indonesian business and commerce
neglected to bolster its economic and financial infrastructure.
This complacency left the corporate world unprepared for the
ferocity with which the crisis struck when it came sweeping in
from neighboring Thailand.

Limited scope to voice constructive criticism may have been
partly to blame for the country's state of unreadiness -- this is
yet another obstacle to be surmounted by the next cabinet. The
present crisis and other emergencies that have occurred down the
years serve to highlight the importance of communicating
effectively with other countries so that they will be better able
to understand both our culture and our problems.

Another frequent criticism has been aimed at the apparent lack
of coordination between different government agencies. Officials
have often made conflicting statements on the same problems,
causing confusion among the public.

Naming the members of the cabinet is the prerogative of the
head of state. There is no need to doubt that the new president
will do all he can to find the best possible candidates to fill
the ministerial posts. What the public hopes is that the new
cabinet will prove itself to be fully capable of addressing the
needs of the new era.