The new Cabinet

The new Cabinet

From Koran Tempo

The Cabinet of Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY), as Indonesia's
sixth president, is expected to learn from the experiences of
previous Cabinets, both at home and abroad, so that ministers are
judged only by their performance and achievements.

During the New Order era, Soeharto appointed ministers who
would unquestioningly follow his instructions. In the governments
of Habibie, Abdurrahman Wahid and Megawati Soekarnoputri, many
Cabinet members failed to work in harmony with their presidents.

This was partly because the post-Soeharto heads of state
lacked authority, the Cabinet ministers came from various
political parties, they were less capable because they were non-
professionals, they failed to grasp presidential missions and
platforms, and they confused personal and public interests.

Meanwhile, corruption, collusion and nepotism were so deeply
rooted in all levels of the bureaucracy that even the most
idealistic ministers failed to achieve much under these stagnant
administrations. A lot of SBY supporters, therefore, expect him
to form a Cabinet capable of breaking the deadlock.

However, SBY will be facing big challenges from his political
opponents as well as the ailing government bureaucracy. In order
to enhance the nation's credibility, his Cabinet members should
have the teeth to deal with these unfavorable conditions. In a
forum in Melbourne five months ago, SBY quoted Winston Churchill
as saying that an advanced and civilized nation is one that
understands history.

Consequently, while learning from past experience, SBY should
be able to straighten out Indonesia's history so that instead of
being like a novel, it will be based on facts, including the
Sept. 30 Communist movement, the incidents at Tanjung Priok,
Semanggi, Timor Leste and many others. In this way, our nation
will be more open, advanced and broad-minded.

BENJAMIN KNIGHT
Melbourne, Australia