Wahid's new team

Wahid's new team

Despite high hopes that President Abdurrahman Wahid's new
government would herald a complete break with the past, it was
inevitable that a handful of the old guard would receive a place.

Previous regimes included some highly competent ministers, in
addition to those tainted with the corruption and cronyism of the
Suharto regime. Those figures are now, to the electorate's
relief, consigned to the wilderness.

Of the old order, it is General Wiranto's role that prompts
most questions. Until the government is established, it is hard
to know how much influence he can exert as minister for political
and security affairs; but the power of the military has certainly
been curtailed.

Even with four members of ex-president Suharto's cabinet in
the new line-up, an element of political compromise is an
improvement on Suharto's approach. Under his patronage, jobs were
awarded on the basis of personal loyalty.

Mr. Wahid has started by breaking the mold of politics by
creating several new jobs, some of which have yet to be defined.
With several untried figures in his cabinet from across the
political divide, he may have created a rainbow coalition that
will blossom under an atmosphere of consensus-building and
compromise.

But with a shattered country to rebuild and a population
impatient for progress, there is not much time for an
inexperienced administration to grow into the job.

And though the appointment of an ethnic Chinese as
coordinating minister for economics and finance may reassure the
Chinese community, Kwik Kian Gie's experience comes mainly from
running a business school.

Managing an economy in disarray will be a fiery baptism.
Mr. Wahid will need all his leadership skills to mold his
disparate cabinet into a team, but overall he has made a good
start.

Indonesia's democratic credentials are restored, and the
future is all to play for.

-- The South China Morning Post, Hong Kong