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Megawati powerless against ex-pal Rini
Rini Soemarno - JP/Jerry AdigunaThe decision of President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo to keep Rini Soemarno as state-owned enterprises minister, despite repeated threats from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) and the House of Representatives blacklisting her, demonstrates his strong determination
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Rini Soemarno - JP/Jerry Adiguna
The decision of President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo to keep Rini Soemarno as state-owned enterprises minister, despite repeated threats from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) and the House of Representatives blacklisting her, demonstrates his strong determination.
He has not caved to any pressure even from the person who believes got him his current position.
Since Jokowi formed his Cabinet in November 2014, PDI-P chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri has repeatedly demanded that Jokowi dismiss Rini, at one time her minister and a former shopping companion.
Jokowi appointed Rini to oversee state-owned companies, which are often treated as cash cows by politicians.
Megawati appointed Rini in 2001 as trade and industry minister when the former, as vice president, replaced then president Abdurrahman “Gus Dur” Wahid. Gus Dur was toppled by the People’s Consultative Assembly for alleged graft.
However, the country’s fifth president later accused Rini, a former Astra International CEO, of betraying her trust by joining Jokowi’s Cabinet without her consent. In January she openly criticized Rini’s ministerial performance.
The relationship turned even uglier when the House’s special committee investigating alleged corruption at state-owned port operator PT Pelindo II issued a recommendation that Jokowi dismiss Rini from her post and banned her from attending any House hearings thereafter.
The President turned a blind eye to his party’s calls and allowed Rini to continue in her job at the ministry even though two Cabinet shakeups have seen dozens of professional figures like her, as well as politician ministers, being dismissed from the Cabinet.
Arya Fernandes, a political analyst with the Jakarta-based Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), said that Jokowi’s firm stance of keeping Rini in the government sent a message to the public that he could not be dictated to by political groupings, not even by his own party the PDI-P.
“Rini has accompanied Jokowi since the very beginning of the presidential election process. This means that Jokowi honors a long-established political relationship [..] Rini also has had a role in helping the transition of the government from the previous leadership to the current administration,” Arya said.
Unlike other Cabinet members, Rini has an exceptional place in Jokowi’s circle of few trusted individuals.
It is a relationship forged by history after she closely fought by Jokowi’s side to help him clinch the presidency last year.
Rini has not only advised and helped finance Jokowi, but also dealt with his choice of suits and ties.
For her unrivaled service, Jokowi has repeatedly shielded her from many political threats.
Meanwhile, Arie Sudjito, political analyst at Gadjah Mada University in Yogyakarta, said that Rini posed no threat to Jokowi’s administration.
“It is clear [from today’s reshuffle] that Jokowi has kicked out from his Cabinet ministers who could become threats to his government, but he has kept Rini. This also tells us that Rini is under Jokowi’s control in order to keep political stability in his administration,” Arie said.
Arie, however, acknowledged that Rini had not displayed any remarkable achievements since her appointment.
The President showed further defiance during Wednesday’s second Cabinet shake up by ignoring the PDI-P’s call to increase the number of ministers from that party in his government.
PDI-P legislator Masinton Pasaribu told The Jakarta Post that the party was surprised upon knowing Rini remained in her post.
“I just don’t get the reasons for retaining Rini. There is already a House recommendation based on the Pelindo II investigation demanding the ouster of the minister for negligence,” he said.
A senior political analyst from the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI), Ikrar Nusa Bhakti suspected that PDI-P maneuvers over Rini were due to Megawati’s personal problems with her.
“It is not wise to let Megawati’s fall-out with [Rini] be dragged into the government’s affairs. By keeping Rini, Jokowi is telling us that you have the right to suggest whatever you want me to do, but don’t force me to dismiss someone [based on a personal dislike],” Ikrar said.
Jokowi’s truculence is also evidence that Megawati does not have full control over Jokowi’s administration.
Political researcher from LIPI Siti Zuhro said that Rini had put a lot of effort into Jokowi’s victory in the 2014 presidential election.
“You can go check what Rini did for Jokowi during the campaign period,” Siti said, adding that Jokowi should make an official explanation as to why he refused to comply with the House’s call to sack Rini from her post.
