TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
Clean Jokowi Cabinet 'a must'
Man of mystery: President Joko âJokowiâ Widodo (left) speaks to his senior aides on Tuesday at the Presidential Palace during his first day as President
Change Size
M
span class="inline inline-center">Man of mystery: President Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo (left) speaks to his senior aides on Tuesday at the Presidential Palace during his first day as President. Jokowi has left the public guessing over his Cabinet lineup, two days after his inauguration. AFP/Bayu Ismoyo
In the wake of revelations that some of President Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo's ministerial candidates could have questionable histories, the country's new leader has been urged take more time to carefully rethink his choices.
Leading anti-graft group Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) called on Jokowi on Tuesday to not pick a number of candidates the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) deemed unfit for the posts because of their alleged involvement in cases of graft and human rights violations.
'Jokowi should delay the Cabinet announcement to follow up on the KPK report. It is better to spend one more week rearranging his choices, rather than rushing and eventually facing problems in the next five years,' Donal Fariz, from the ICW's legal and judicature monitoring division, said on Tuesday.
The KPK has revealed that it reported to Jokowi that some ministerial candidates implicated in graft cases were given 'red' marks, while those with 'orange' marks were likely to be implicated in future graft probes. Those with 'bright yellow' marks had been mentioned in graft allegations submitted by members of the public.
'Jokowi needs to drop those with red and orange marks and conduct further assessments on those in the 'bright yellow' category,' Donal said.
Jokowi, in his efforts to build a clean administration, had involved the KPK and the Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (PPATK) in assessing 43 short-listed candidates to fill 33 ministerial posts ' four of which will be coordinating ministers.
Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) coordinator Haris Azhar suggested that Jokowi conduct a further assessment to ensure that his Cabinet picks were committed to eradicating corruption and defending human rights.
'[Former Indonesian Military chief and chairman of the Hanura party] Wiranto is implicated in violent cases in East Timor and Semanggi [a shooting incident during the fall of Soeharto's rule]. Muhaimin, during his tenure as minister, failed to protect migrant workers,' Haris said.
On Tuesday, Jokowi once again decided to delay the announcement of the members of his Cabinet.
Throughout the day, Jokowi summoned a number of politicians to the Presidential Palace, including some who had been touted as ministerial candidates.
Jokowi had earlier revealed that he had finished interviewing all ministerial candidates at the Palace on Monday evening and into the early hours of Tuesday.
The politicians summoned by President Jokowi were Muhaimin, former National Intelligence Agency (BIN) chief Gen. (ret) Hendropriyono, former army chief of staff Gen. (ret.) Ryamizard Ryacudu, Hanura's Yuddy Chrisnandi, Bank Indonesia senior deputy governor Mirza Adityaswara and former coordinating economic minister Chairul Tanjung.
Jokowi also summoned two transition team members, Andi Widjajanto and Rini Soemarno, the latter a former president director of the giant PT Astra International who was made trade minister by the then-president Megawati Soekarnoputri. Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) politician Hasto Kristiyanto arrived at the Palace on Tuesday as well. Both Hasto and Rini are believed to be among the candidates.
Jokowi declined to give more details on Tuesday, but hinted that the KPK assessment report gave him the guidance to form a clean Cabinet.
'It has to be [a clean Cabinet]. For what else did [we] come to the PPATK and the KPK?' Jokowi said.
Another PDI-P politician, Aria Bima, who was also summoned by Jokowi, said that Jokowi had yet to finalize his Cabinet lineup as he was now following up on the KPK and PPATK findings.
'What I know was the initial plan [to announce it today], but he has yet to reach a conclusion,' he said. 'I believe so [that it was because of the KPK].'
Aria also said that Bima had agreed to bring in the United Development Party (PPP).
'Finally, he agreed to accommodate the PPP in the Cabinet,' Aria said.
Meanwhile, KPK spokesman Johan Budi denied speculation that one of the current KPK commissioners was on Jokowi's ministerial candidates list.
'None of the KPK commissioners are included on the list,' Johan told reporters.
