Comments on: Indonesia’s new cabinet: A boost for economic policy and reform http://www.eastasiaforum.org/2009/11/02/indonesias-new-cabinet-a-boost-for-economic-policy-and-reform/ Economics, Politics and Public Policy in East Asia and the Pacific Mon, 13 Feb 2012 06:23:14 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2 By: Ken Wardhttp://www.eastasiaforum.org/2009/11/02/indonesias-new-cabinet-a-boost-for-economic-policy-and-reform/comment-page-1/#comment-74756 Ken Ward Sun, 08 Nov 2009 20:31:33 +0000 http://www.eastasiaforum.org/?p=7676#comment-74756 What remains to be explained is why Yudhoyono chose Hatta Rajasa, former State Secretary, as his Coordinating Economics Minister. Hatta, an important figure in the National Mandate Party founded by Amien Rais, lacks qualifications for this job. One wonders why a Boediono protege was not appointed instead. Hatta has, admittedly, amply proven his loyalty to the president in the past, and appears to have played a key role in the selection of ministers this year. Responsible for transport as Minister for Communications a couple of years ago, Hatta presided over a series of transport disasters, including the crashing of the Garuda flight in 2007 in which five Australians died and the disappearance of an Adam Air flight in which one hundred people died. He once claimed that saboteurs were causing train accidents. Another oddity is Yudhoyono's choice of three party chairmen or presidents, those of PKB, PPP and PKS, to various portfolios. Shortly after unveiling his cabinet, the president called on his appointees to display loyalty towards himself, rather than towards their parties. This seems a tall order at the best of times, the more so for the trio who are primarily in debt to their parties for their eligibility as cabinet ministers. What remains to be explained is why Yudhoyono chose Hatta Rajasa, former State Secretary, as his Coordinating Economics Minister. Hatta, an important figure in the National Mandate Party founded by Amien Rais, lacks qualifications for this job. One wonders why a Boediono protege was not appointed instead. Hatta has, admittedly, amply proven his loyalty to the president in the past, and appears to have played a key role in the selection of ministers this year. Responsible for transport as Minister for Communications a couple of years ago, Hatta presided over a series of transport disasters, including the crashing of the Garuda flight in 2007 in which five Australians died and the disappearance of an Adam Air flight in which one hundred people died. He once claimed that saboteurs were causing train accidents.

Another oddity is Yudhoyono’s choice of three party chairmen or presidents, those of PKB, PPP and PKS, to various portfolios. Shortly after unveiling his cabinet, the president called on his appointees to display loyalty towards himself, rather than towards their parties. This seems a tall order at the best of times, the more so for the trio who are primarily in debt to their parties for their eligibility as cabinet ministers.

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