Yudhoyono Pledges Transparent, Accountable Cabinet Formation
President-elect Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said here on Wednesday that the formation of the next cabinet would be held transparently and accountably.
“I want people to know anything that I am doing with vice president-elect Boediono and the small team that helps me in the forming of the next second-edition unity cabinet to assure and prove that the formation is transparent meaning that it is known by the people, credible based on mechanism of the system and the process is accountable meaning why the structure and goals of the cabinet later are like that,” he said at a press conference at his private residence in Cikeas, Bogor.
He said in determining the process and personnel for the next cabinet he would be very dynamic by tring to accomodate all proposals and inputs given to him.
However he said he would remain to use Law Number 39 of 2008 as a reference which states that the number of ministers would maximally be 34.
Based on the regulation the President confirmed that the number of ministers would only be 34 but there would be additional functions added to several offices such as child protection function to the state minister for empowerment of women`s role.
“Actually the task of the cabinet for the next five years is bigger but because of the rule its number could not be raised and so only their functions would be increased,” he said.
Yudhoyono said that Boediono`s role in the cabinet formation was quite big including giving views and proposing names.
He said the process of cabinet formation began with discussions on vision and missions as had been conveyed during presidential campaigns and setting the targets.
“Based on them we then would determine the cabinet`s structure according to Law Number 39 and ministers,” he said.
He said those who were selected would be notified from Thursday evening to Friday evening to confirme their readiness and if they would accept it they would be asked to take tests and sign a working contract and a integrity pact.
“After that there would be interviews to be conducted by me in the company of the vice president and then a health test. Only after they are all completed announcement will be made,” he said.
Yudhoyono said the next cabinet would not only prioritize integrity but also plurality in terms of religion, ethnicity, gender and generation. ” So all groups will be taken into account although not all will be represented. There will be people from Sumatra, Sulawesi, East Nusa Tenggara, Papua and also Maluku,” he said.
He said expertise would also be taken into account. “In the present cabinet there are four female ministers. In the next cabinet I cannot as yet tell about it but it is important to pay attention to this because 50 percent of our population are women,” he said.
Source: Antara
