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.