Reluctant partners

The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Tue, 05/15/2007 7:48 AM  |  Opinion

After all the debate over the recent Cabinet reshuffle had died down, People's Consultative Assembly Speaker Hidayat Nur Wahid stirred the waters with a surprise comment: the President and Vice President must improve their relationship.

Hidayat described the relationship between President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Vice President Jusuf Kalla as ""not harmonious"", saying this would undermine the government's work to improve the welfare of the people.

""However good the Cabinet drafted by the President, its performance will be affected by the relationship between the President and his deputy,"" Hidayat was quoted by Koran Tempo as saying in Gontor, Ponorogo, East Java.

Hidayat's statement only confirms public speculation about the sour relationship between the two most powerful men in the country.

There have been just too many incidents and examples of Yudhoyono and Kalla not being in the same boat. That would still be all right as long as they were both heading in the same direction, which they are not.

The recent Cabinet reshuffle serves as a good example. Kalla, a successful businessman, is concerned about the economy, and suggested the President reshuffle his economic team.

Yudhoyono ignored Kalla. He did listen to his advisers and dismissed two ministers connected with the questionable disbursement of funds belonging to Tommy Soeharto via a government account -- Yusril Ihza Mahendra and Hamid Awaluddin.

The President's decision, of course, drew praise from various quarters, especially supporters of his anti-corruption drive. Kalla himself seemed to surprised by the President's decision, which affected one of Kalla's closer allies, Hamid. But there was some consolation: Andi Mattalata, a politician from Kalla's Golkar Party, was appointed justice and human rights minister to replace Hamid.

Differences between the two do not stop there. In many areas of the political and economic decision-making process, the two often differ not only in their approach but many times in the substance.

We don't know for sure what caused the relationship between the President and Vice President to drift. But judging from the current state of relations, we sense they will not be running together in the 2009 presidential poll.

There is really not much to say, except we agree with the Assembly speaker's plea that the two improve their relationship. The recent Cabinet reshuffle will not benefit the country unless Yudhoyono and Kalla can improve their working relationship.

We wish the two would meet regularly, discussing the interests of the nation, the pressing problems faced by the people, talking about what had been done and what could be done next week, next month and next year.

Yes, both are there at Cabinet meetings, quite regularly. But Cabinet meetings are not held all the time, and they involve so many ministers it is impossible to have a meeting of two minds.

If only the two were friends, able to talk to each other more freely, the country may have seen better economic growth, less unemployment and less poverty.

In the history of Indonesia, relations between the president and his or her deputy have not always been good. The country's first vice president, Moh. Hatta, eventually resigned after deciding he could no longer work with president Sukarno.

The next president, Soeharto, had numerous deputies over his 32-year rule, but all were more like accessories than real deputies. His last vice president, B.J. Habibie, became his successor by default. Habibie, during his short term, had no deputy.

The relationship between president and vice president improved during Abdurrahman Wahid's term, until his vice president, Megawati Soekarnoputri, helped unseat him and grabbed the presidency for herself.

So, the choices for Kalla are many: follow the path of Hatta and resign as vice president; follow the path of Soeharto's deputies and play the loyal sidekick; or follow the path of Megawati and conspire to unseat Yudhoyono.

Or he would just maintain the current status quo, which we do not recommend as it would not serve the interests of the country.

We urge the Vice President to repair the relationship. Failing that, it would be better for all if Kalla did resign and focus on 2009.

What about the President? It is also his duty to improve relations with his deputy. Otherwise, he will face a continuing decline in the country's economic performance and his own political fortunes.

If the two can not get along, parting ways would be better for the country than continuing on as reluctant partners.

Copyright © 2008 The Jakarta Post - PT Bina Media Tenggara. All Rights Reserved.