Yudhoyono reshuffles seven cabinet posts
Tuesday, May 8, 2007
INDONESIAN President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono announced yesterday a cabinet reshuffle of seven ministerial posts aimed at firing up the performance of an administration suffering from sagging popularity.
The announcements were in line with most expectations and only one economic portfolio, the state enterprise minister who is in charge of the privatisation programme, was changed.
Yudhoyono, a former general, said the reshuffle — which also saw the justice minister and state secretary replaced, as well as the transport minister transferred — was done after consultations with his coalition partners.
The president's own Democrat Party is in the minority in parliament and he has had to try to juggle a collection of different parties supporting his administration.
Some analysts questioned, however, whether the changes would improve cabinet performance much.
"This is a reshuffle that is based solely on political accommodation and consolidation ahead of the 2009 elections," said Indra Piliang, an analyst at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies in Jakarta.
But Yudhoyono had "from the public relations point of view, scored a point" by dropping the justice minister and state secretary, he added.
The two men were linked to a scandal over funds paid via a ministry account to former president Suharto's youngest son, Hutomo "Tommy" Mandala Putra.
Yudhoyono's popularity fell in April to its lowest level since coming to power in late 2004, the leading Kompas daily reported last month.
"I changed the line-up with the hope of improving the performance of the cabinet," Yudhoyono told a news conference at the white-painted colonial-style palace.
"For those ministers from political parties, I have also had consultation beforehand, although I had the final say."
As well as concerns over the handling of the economy and a rise in poverty, the administration has faced public rebuke over its handling of a number of problems including a series of plane and maritime disasters and scandals linked to ministers.
One controversial figure unmentioned in the changes was the coordinating minister for social welfare, Aburizal Bakrie.
He has been criticised over a massive mud flow in East Java that followed an oil-drilling accident and made thousands homeless. A firm linked to Bakrie's family group was involved in the accident, but Bakrie said he had separated himself from the group's activities when he became a minister.
Yudhoyono won Indonesia's first direct presidential vote in October 2004 on a pledge to root out corruption, seen as endemic, cut poverty and uphold the rule of law.
The cabinet's performance in the next two years will be key to whether he will get a second term in the 2009 polls.
Major shifts included:
State Secretary Yusril Ihza Mahendra replaced by Transport Minister Hatta Radjasa. Mahendra was linked to a scandal over the disbursement of funds to Tommy Suharto.
Justice and Human Rights Minister Hamid Awaluddin replaced by Andi Mattalata, chairman of the Golkar Party faction.
Awaluddin was also linked to the payment scandal.
Both Mahendra and Awaluddin have denied any wrongdoing.
Jusman Syafi'i Djamal, a member of the National Transportation and Security Evaluation body, replaced Hatta Radjasa as transport minister. Radjasa was in the spotlight after a series of recent transport disasters.
State Enterprises Minister Sugiharto replaced by Information and Communication Minister Sofyan Djalil.
Mohammad Nuh, former Surabaya Institute of Technology rector, takes over as information minister.
Minister for Disadvantaged Areas Saifullah Yusuf replaced by Lukman Eddy, secretary-general of the Nation Awakening Party (PKB). Yusuf replaced after switching parties.
Attorney General Abdul Rahman Saleh replaced by Deputy Attorney General for Special Crimes Hendarman Supandji.
Reuters
The announcements were in line with most expectations and only one economic portfolio, the state enterprise minister who is in charge of the privatisation programme, was changed.
Yudhoyono, a former general, said the reshuffle — which also saw the justice minister and state secretary replaced, as well as the transport minister transferred — was done after consultations with his coalition partners.
The president's own Democrat Party is in the minority in parliament and he has had to try to juggle a collection of different parties supporting his administration.
Some analysts questioned, however, whether the changes would improve cabinet performance much.
"This is a reshuffle that is based solely on political accommodation and consolidation ahead of the 2009 elections," said Indra Piliang, an analyst at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies in Jakarta.
But Yudhoyono had "from the public relations point of view, scored a point" by dropping the justice minister and state secretary, he added.
The two men were linked to a scandal over funds paid via a ministry account to former president Suharto's youngest son, Hutomo "Tommy" Mandala Putra.
Yudhoyono's popularity fell in April to its lowest level since coming to power in late 2004, the leading Kompas daily reported last month.
"I changed the line-up with the hope of improving the performance of the cabinet," Yudhoyono told a news conference at the white-painted colonial-style palace.
"For those ministers from political parties, I have also had consultation beforehand, although I had the final say."
As well as concerns over the handling of the economy and a rise in poverty, the administration has faced public rebuke over its handling of a number of problems including a series of plane and maritime disasters and scandals linked to ministers.
One controversial figure unmentioned in the changes was the coordinating minister for social welfare, Aburizal Bakrie.
He has been criticised over a massive mud flow in East Java that followed an oil-drilling accident and made thousands homeless. A firm linked to Bakrie's family group was involved in the accident, but Bakrie said he had separated himself from the group's activities when he became a minister.
Yudhoyono won Indonesia's first direct presidential vote in October 2004 on a pledge to root out corruption, seen as endemic, cut poverty and uphold the rule of law.
The cabinet's performance in the next two years will be key to whether he will get a second term in the 2009 polls.
Major shifts included:
State Secretary Yusril Ihza Mahendra replaced by Transport Minister Hatta Radjasa. Mahendra was linked to a scandal over the disbursement of funds to Tommy Suharto.
Justice and Human Rights Minister Hamid Awaluddin replaced by Andi Mattalata, chairman of the Golkar Party faction.
Awaluddin was also linked to the payment scandal.
Both Mahendra and Awaluddin have denied any wrongdoing.
Jusman Syafi'i Djamal, a member of the National Transportation and Security Evaluation body, replaced Hatta Radjasa as transport minister. Radjasa was in the spotlight after a series of recent transport disasters.
State Enterprises Minister Sugiharto replaced by Information and Communication Minister Sofyan Djalil.
Mohammad Nuh, former Surabaya Institute of Technology rector, takes over as information minister.
Minister for Disadvantaged Areas Saifullah Yusuf replaced by Lukman Eddy, secretary-general of the Nation Awakening Party (PKB). Yusuf replaced after switching parties.
Attorney General Abdul Rahman Saleh replaced by Deputy Attorney General for Special Crimes Hendarman Supandji.
Reuters
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