The people get Cabinet they deserve

The lineup of the new National Unity Cabinet was announced on Tuesday. Political analyst J. Soedjati Djiwandono says the Cabinet is perhaps the best the nation has had in decades.

JAKARTA (JP): In terms of its composition, and just like the election of President Abdurrahman Wahid and Vice President Megawati Soekarnoputri, the newly established Cabinet is definitely the result of compromises. Any form of compromise, in whatever field, never satisfies anyone. At best it is the most that everyone can accept.

Despite these compromises however, in some ways the new Cabinet may be the best we have had for decades. Although the proportionality of the distribution of "political spoils" may be questionable, in the first place the Cabinet includes -- again a form of compromise -- representatives from the major political parties which contested the June elections.

Second, the Cabinet includes members of different -- though understandably not all -- religious and ethnic groups. Third, despite compromises between the old and new elements, the majority of its members are younger than members of previous Cabinets. Although it could have been a little better, the choice of the old elements is not too bad. In any event, amid the dangers of national disintegration, the Cabinet seems to deserve its name. Hopefully, its future policies will bring the nation closer and closer to that ideal.

Of greater significance however, is the radically changed strategic and political orientation of the new national leadership, which is reflected clearly by the new government. Some of the key indicators of these shifts include the following:

First, the appointment of a civilian -- a good and smart one at that -- to the post of defense and security just as in the old days before the onset of dictatorial rule under Sukarno's guided democracy and "Pancasila democracy" under Soeharto's New Order. According to the President, the move was suggested by Gen. Wiranto, and as such it is a credit to the general, and thus to the Indonesian Military (TNI) as a whole. Although it must be added that Wiranto seems to have been successful in securing a no less important post for himself.

Second, the new and appropriate maritime orientation has not only been repeatedly emphasized by the President himself, but is now evident in the establishment of an appropriate ministry dealing with maritime exploration. That Indonesia is one of the largest maritime nations in the world, and literally the largest archipelago, has long been a talking point. But it was never clearly translated into the country's strategic, political and economic orientation and policy.

To support that argument, for the first time in Indonesian history, the new commander of the defense force is a Navy admiral. As a great maritime country, Indonesia should have a strong Navy and Air Force. These branches of the military should be stronger than the Army, although it would cost a lot more to maintain the former two, not only in terms of human resources, but also in terms of equipment and technology.

Cynics who comprise not only civilians, but also Air Force and Navy personnel, have been saying for some time that what has been designated as the dual function of the Indonesian Military (TNI) has been primarily or essentially the dual function of the Army.

Last, the abolition of the information ministry should be welcomed. A democratic country devoted to individual freedoms should have no need of such a ministry, which only smacks of authoritarianism. This is not to deny the fact that the last man occupying that post was one of the best.

Without being presumptuous, pretentious, or prejudiced against the new minister of education, however, and because of my serious concerns as a teacher and educator, I wonder if the new government will pay due attention to the problem of education. Education has such a strategic significance for the development of our young people, particularly as we face the challenges in the years ahead.

Despite their better physique, and probably their better brains, the present generation of young Indonesians has suffered the worst education system ever. One would hope that the new minister of education would sincerely strive to introduce a new education system for the younger generation. One which would make them increasingly independent and critical human beings, in terms of their way of thinking, their views, their studies and their work.

If we really want to have men and women that will be up to the challenges of a modern world marked by globalization and fierce competition, this subject should be given high priority by the new government.

Of no less importance, last but not least is the prospect of reform. There are new faces in the Cabinet of National Unity which have lived outside the public limelight. I can only hope that the compromises made among the political parties and TNI will not be at the expense of reform. Indeed, to fulfill the dreams of reform is almost an insurmountable task, no matter how strong the new government's intention and political power.

A compromise government is rarely a strong government. For better or for worse, perhaps as a nation, we Indonesians have got what we deserve.