Wiranto denies rumors on Cabinet shake-up

Wiranto denies rumors on Cabinet shake-up

JAKARTA (JP): Coordinating Minister for Political Affairs and
Security Gen. Wiranto denied rumors on Tuesday of an impending
Cabinet reshuffle and stressed that his relationship with
President Abdurrahman Wahid remained friendly.

Speaking to reporters after attending the inauguration of new
National Police chief Lt. Gen. Roesdihardjo at the State Palace,
Wiranto appeared confident he would remain in his current post.

"I have often been the target of rumors," Wiranto said when
asked about speculation he would be dismissed.

He said it was not simple to replace Cabinet members. "The
replacement of officials or Cabinet members needs thorough
consideration. It would be a decision requiring much
coordination."

The capital has been rife with rumors that a Cabinet reshuffle
was in the works. Wiranto, Minister of Trade and Industry Yusuf
Kalla, State Secretary Ali Rahman and Minister of Manpower Bomer
Pasaribu are among those said to be facing dismissal.

Wiranto also dismissed on Tuesday talk of his shaky
relationship with the President, stressing that he remained a
loyal servant of the state.

"On loyalty, especially since I am a soldier, of course our
orientation is toward togetherness and loyalty to the leaders."

Shortly after the inauguration, Wiranto was seen leaving with
Abdurrahman and Vice President Megawati Soekarnoputri. According
to one of Abdurrahman's aides, Wiranto requested a meeting with
the two. There were no further details available.

State Secretary Ali Rahman also denied the rumored Cabinet
reshuffle, and brushed off suggestions he was unhappy in his
post.

The authority of the once powerful State Secretary's office
was severely depleted by Abdurrahman's decision to appoint Ratih
Hardjono as presidential secretary.

Ali claimed the President had no plans to remove him from his
post. "It's just newspaper speculation."

Separately, Minister of Transportation Lt. Gen. Agum Gumelar
broke into laughter when asked to comment on rumors he would
replace Wiranto as coordinating minister for political affairs.

"It's just rumors. Where do you get that from," he said. Agum
has also been mentioned as a candidate to replace Minister of
Defense Juwono Sudarsono.

Meanwhile, there was no confirmation of reports the President
would hold a special Cabinet meeting on Friday to discuss the
issue.

Displeasure

Outside the halls of the State Palace, politicians generally
displayed displeasure with the rumors.

House of Representatives Speaker Akbar Tandjung chided the
President for engaging in polemic for the sake of "politicking".

"If the President wants to replace his ministers then just do
it. There's no need to circulate such rumors," Akbar said during
a breaking-of-the-fast gathering on Tuesday.

He said fueling such rumors would only damage the government's
image, portraying it as an incoherent unit without solidity.

Akbar, who is also chairman of Golkar Party, urged Abdurrahman
to show his statesmanship by avoiding statements which could
further destabilize the situation, because the nation was already
faced with severe problems.

Sri Bintang Pamungkas, chairman of the Indonesian Democratic
Union Party (PUDI), said there was no point in a Cabinet
reshuffle because the real source of the government's poor
performance was the lack of management skills by the President
and Vice President.

Sri Bintang said the two leaders did not have the capability
to manage the Cabinet and focus it on a specific target.

"The wish of various parties, including Gus Dur himself, to
reshuffle the Cabinet is useless because what is going on with
the Cabinet is a reflection of Gus Dur and Mega themselves," he
said, referring to the President and Vice President by their
nicknames.

Some words of support were heard from the deputy speaker of
the People's Consultative Assembly, Matori Abdul Djalil.

"If the President feels there is a need for a Cabinet
reshuffle then I agree," Matori, who is also the chairman of the
Nation Awakening Party, said.

He said President Abdurrahman should not again "compromise" on
the lineup of the Cabinet if he does decide on a reshuffle.

Matori said Abdurrahman earlier wanted a slimmer Cabinet with
only 19 ministers, but pressure from certain figures led to the
number of ministers being increased to 35.

Matori is known as a loyal supporter of both Abdurrahman, who
founded the National Awakening Party, and Megawati, who he
nominated as president during the presidential election in
October. (jun/prb)