Cabinet’s performance ‘under threat from conflict’

The scandal threatening to bring down Vice President Boediono and Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati for their roles in bailing out Bank Century is indicative of the rift forming within the Cabinet, analysts said Sunday.

Mulyani has accused Golkar Party chairman and former chief welfare minister Aburizal Bakrie of being behind the calls for her to be axed over the Rp 6.76 trillion (US$716 million) bailout.

Speculation is rife that the rift was created by political parties eyeing the vice presidency and finance portfolio for their own members.

Political expert Bima Arya Sugiarto, from the consultancy Magna Charta, said the conflict had impacted on the Cabinet’s performance, but did not elaborate on what that meant.

“The whole investigation into the Century bailout should be organized on a proper schedule,” he said.

He added President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s Democratic Party, as the coalition leader, should immediately re-evaluate the alliance in order to tackle “future political catastrophes”.

“The party should initiate a review of each coalition partner so as to give more room to those wiling to work for the nation,” he said.

Bima warned that the rift, if not properly handled, could lead to a further deterioration in the Cabinet’s performance.

“It could turn into a serious problem for the administration,” he said.

The University of Indonesia’s Maswadi Rauf agreed the present dispute had affected the Cabinet.

However, coalition party officials have denied any rift forming between them, insisting the current political turbulence has had no effect whatsoever on the government’s performance, and pointing out that, on the contrary, the government is working at its optimum level.

“There’s no such political fracture within the Cabinet,” Justice and Human Rights Minister Patrialis Akbar, from the National Mandate Party (PAN), said Sunday as quoted by news portal detik.com.

“Matter of fact, we’re coordinating and performing at our best in providing assistance to the
President.”

Forestry Minister Zulkifli Hasan, also from the PAN, said he too was working at peak performance of late.

“The speculation about the Cabinet’s inability to work is just a rumor,” he said as quoted by detik.com.

“Any talk of a rift is baseless. I hope the public isn’t wasting its time entertaining such rumors.”

Also denying there was any rift in the Cabinet were Coordinating Public Welfare Minister Agung Laksono and Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Fadel Muhammad, both from the Golkar Party.

Golkar and the PAN are both members of the coalition led by the Democratic Party.

Democratic Party legislator Ruhut Sitompul also said there was nothing amiss.

However, he said any rough patch that did crop up from the Century case would pose a challenge for the government, particularly if not handled correctly.

“We’re now dealing with the Century case by summoning for questioning those involved in the contentious bailout,” he said.

“To date, I’ve seen nothing that could harm the current government’s performance.”

http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2009/12/14/cabinet%E2%80%99s-performance-%E2%80%98under-threat-conflict%E2%80%99.html