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Plenty of fanfare but little love for Jokowi's 'working cabinet'
Jakarta Globe - October 27, 2014
Joko announced his 34-member "Working Cabinet" after repeated delays pending the outcome of background checks performed by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) and the Financial Transaction Report and Analysis Center (PPATK), as well as consultation with the House of Representatives on changes to some ministries.
"I selected the ministers carefully and meticulously," Joko said at a press conference on the State Palace lawn on Sunday afternoon. "That's important because this cabinet will work for the next five years, and we want the chosen people to be clean figures, hence our consultations with the KPK and PPATK."
Political analysts, however, were not convinced. Twenty-one of the appointees are either affiliated to a political party or have links to senior party officials, particularly Megawati Soekarnoputri, Joko's party patron and chairwoman of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P). This after Joko had repeatedly insisted that political appointees would be limited to just 16.
Political compromises
"Several expectations have not been met in this cabinet lineup," Burhanuddin Muhtadi, the executive director of Indikator Politik, a think tank, said in an interview on Metro TV. "It's not bad, but it doesn't have a wow effect, and that's because of the overly heavy political nuance – there are just too many political appointments."
Aleksius Jemadu, the dean of Pelita Harapan University's School of Social and Political Sciences, echoed the criticism. He added, though, that the "political compromises" made by Joko were inevitable, given that the administration, facing an opposition with a majority in the House of Representatives, needed strong support from its coalition partners, including Joko's own PDI-P.
Thirteen of the political appointees are political party members, and the other eight have close ties to the PDI-P. "Political compromises are inevitable; they can't be fully avoided because Joko needs the support of members of his coalition," Aleksius said.
He cited the appointment of Ryamizard Ryacudu, the defense minister, as an example of a longtime Megawati associate getting a key post. "This is a political compromise versus human rights issues. It appears that [Joko's] commitment to Megawati is stronger than his commitment to the civilian supremacy," Aleksius said.
Ryamizard, a former Army chief of staff, has a checkered human rights record, having been involved in the invasion of East Timor, as well as the suppression of separatist activities in Aceh and Papua.
Mega in the mix?
Another surprise pick is that of Puan Maharani, Megawati's 41-year-old daughter, as the coordinating minister for human development and culture. Puan has no experience running a government ministry or agency, and certainly none at coordinating level.
She later told reporters that her mother had nothing to do with deciding on the cabinet selection, but acknowledged that she, along with other ministers from the PDI-P, had been nominated by Megawati.
The PDI-P chairwoman was also said to be behind a last-minute change to the lineup. A list obtained by the Jakarta Globe and confirmed through two independent sources just hours before the announcement was nearly identical to the final list, with the exception of the post of communications minister. The earlier list named PDI-P politician Maruarar Sirait to the post, but the person who got the official nod was Rudiantara, a former telecommunications industry executive.
Neither Joko nor Maruarar would confirm or deny that there had been a change; but at a joint press conference after the announcement, Maruarar was dressed in a white shirt identical to those worn by the other ministers as they were named and introduced to the press.
Another PDI-P stalwart named to a key position is Tjahjo Kumolo, the party's number two and now the minister for home affairs. Tellingly, Tjahjo's first port of call after leaving the State Palace following the announcement was Megawati's house.
"I want to go meet the boss, to report to her," he told reporters as quoted by Viva.co.id – clearly not referring to the current president of the republic.
Observers also took issue with the appointment of PDI-P veteran Yasonna H. Laoly as minister of justice and human rights – a portfolio they argued should have gone to someone with no political affiliations.
"We had hoped that the next justice minister wouldn't be a politician, because that would pose huge potential for conflicts of interest," Ade Irawan, an activist from Indonesia Corruption Watch, told the Jakarta Globe.
"Previously it was said the position would go to Professor Saldi Isra" of Andalas University in Padang, West Sumatra, he added. "But then it went to a PDI-P politician."
Ade said that the final list showed that Joko had ignored the recommendations of the KPK and the PPATK not to pick candidates that it had expressed doubts over.
"Among the names announced, we've identified several who pose a potential conflict of interest and who have poor track records," he said, but did not name any individuals apart from Yasonna.
Siti Zuhro, a senior political analyst from the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI), said the party-heavy makeup of the cabinet was a reflection of the internal struggle between various factions for control of the administration.
"His efforts to form a streamlined coalition and streamlined cabinet haven't succeeded," Siti said as quoted by Sindonews.
"It's hard for Joko to prove he's formed an unconditional government if in forming his cabinet he keeps going back and forth to Megawati's house. He comes off as not having the authority or prerogative to choose his own ministers.
"There's an internal struggle going on, and Joko appears to be hostage to it, restrained in his ability to form his own cabinet," she added.
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