SBY: Completely Different!

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said the Joint Secretariat of the political parties in the government coalition was not meant to take over the cabinet’s work. Speaking to reporters shortly before leaving Jakarta on Monday for a working visit to Singapore and Malaysia, he said the joint secretariat would not take over the cabinet’s functions and duties.

"This consultative forum is not meant to take over the cabinet’s functions and duties." "This is completely different. Despite their differences, there is indeed a chain connecting the cabinet and the consultative forum," the head of state said.

The joint secretariat was a forum that would facilitate members of the coalition parties in both executive and legislative bodies to promote mutual coordination and consultation, he said.

"The objectives are for consultation and justice ... so it is not true if the forum is designed as a decision making body to be then executed in the cabinet," President Yudhoyono said.

The president said Indonesia adopted a presidential system, not parliamentary one, so that the decisions, policies and action programs are made by the cabinet. In the cabinet, there were indeed representatives of the coalescing political parties, he said adding that the joint secretariat was a legal forum.

The political parties in the government coalition respected those playing balancing roles to enliven Indonesian democracy. Yudhoyono said the head of the joint-secretariat was the president because he signed the coalition contracts with such parties as the Golkar Party, National Mandate Party (PAN), the United Development Party (PPP), the National Awakening Party (PKB), and the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS).

Due to a possibility that the president was not always active, he was then assisted by an executive chairman but the assistance did not mean that he delegated his authority to the executive chairman. The joint secretariat was expected to improve the coordination effectiveness among coalition partners for bettering the country’s democracy, he said.

"This is again meant to enable the coalition government to run more effectively. The coordination and consultation mechanism for coalition partners in parliament with the government will also be workable well," he said.

The formation of this joint-secretariat itself and appointment of Golkar Party Chairman Aburizal Bakrie as its executive chairman had raised questions. The PKS, for instance questioned the timing of the formation of the Joint Secretariat of the political parties in the government coalition.

"Like a baby, the establishment of the Joint Secretariat has been contaminated by the poison of fetal membrane liquid," PKS executive board chairman Mahfudz Sidiq said over the weekend.

He said the formation of the Joint Secretariat had raised questions because it was done only nine months after President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono took office. "It should have been formed soon after the president was sworn in October last year," he said.

In reality, however, it was established in May 2010 or nine months after the president assumed power. Commenting on Aburizal Bakrie’s appointment, the University of Indonesia (UI) political analyst Arbi Sanit recently said that Bakrie had shown political shrewdness by his maneuvering to gain the key position.

"Golkar’s recent maneuvering clearly shows the Golkar Party and Ical (Aburizal Bakrie)’s shrewdness and at the same time SBY (Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono) and his Democrat Party (PD)’s weakness," he said.

Golkar had gotten what it wanted, namely removing Sri Mulyani (finance minister) while the Democrat Party which was supposed to be in control, had met Golkar’s wish, he said. President Yudhoyono made a working visit to Singapore and Malaysia on May 17-19 to strengthen bilateral ties.

The head of state was accompanied by several ministers, members of the Regional Representatives Council (DPD), and top government officials, including Chairman of Regional Representatives Council (DPD) Irman Gusman, Top Security Minister Djoko Suyanto, Coordinating Minister for Economy Hatta Radjasa, Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa, and Minister, State Secretary Sudi Silalahi.