VP receives newly appointed ministers

VP receives newly appointed ministers

JAKARTA (JP): Despite her cool reaction to the appointment of
new ministers and non-attendance at their induction, Vice
President Megawati Soekarnoputri was ready not only to meet with
them but also give them instructions.

Coordinating Minister for Political, Social and Security
Affairs Gen. (ret.) Agum Gumelar proudly disclosed that the Vice
President had ordered him to resolve the workers' protest against
the controversial decision of Minister of Manpower and
Transmigration Alhilal Hamdi.

"That's right. Ibu Vice President asked me to deal with the
workers' case. Therefore on Friday I will meet with the minister
of manpower," Agum said, after attending the swearing-in of three
ministers at the State Palace.

Megawati has repeatedly demonstrated her displeasure with the
President. She has refused to attend Cabinet meetings, and twice
skipped the swearing-in of new ministers. She has even turned
down three times Abdurrahman's wish to have breakfast with her,
including the last one on Wednesday.

Apart from meeting with Agum, the Vice President received the
new Minister of Finance Rizal Ramli.

Rizal himself told reporters about the meeting. "I reported to
the Vice President about my new assignment. She said 'thank you'
to me".

She also met with Minister of Communications Budhi Muliawan
Suyitno, who was appointed as the replacement for Agum two weeks
ago.

On Thursday, she is scheduled to preside over a limited
economic ministerial meeting to discuss plans to raise both the
price of fuel and electricity rates.

"The sooner the better," Rizal quoted Megawati's stance about
the proposed increases.

In Megawati's absence, the President inducted Rizal,
Coordinating Minister for the Economy Burhanuddin Abdullah, and
State Minister for Administrative Reforms Anwar Supriyadi at the
State Palace on Wednesday.

Some of the military top brass sent their deputies to the
State Palace for the ceremony.

In his brief speech, Abdurrahman sent a conciliatory message
to the judicial and legislative bodies by asking his ministers to
be more humble and to boost cooperation with them.

" Especially during this difficult time with other parties
like the House of Representatives (DPR), we must be down to
earth," Abdurrahman noted.

For the ceremony, Rizal had to borrow the hat of the State
Minister of Forestry Marzuki Usman, as he had forgotten to bring
his own.

Burhanuddin pledged to strengthen the value of the rupiah
against the US dollar. He expressed his confidence in bringing
down the rupiah to a level below 10,000.

Anwar, former secretary-general of the Ministry of
Communications, and previously president of the state-owned
railway PT KAI, was practically ignored by the press.(dja/prb)