Indonesian President To Announce New Cabinet on FridayIndonesian President Megawati Soekarnoputri is scheduled to unveil her cabinet on Friday (August 3), said Achmad Tirtosudiro, chairman of the Supreme Advisory Council (DPA).The new ministers will be sworn in on Saturday, Achmad told reporters after a meeting with Vice President Hamzah Haz at the vice president's palace on Wednesday. "The new cabinet is expected to start working on August 6 when Megawati starts holding office at the state palace," Achmad was quoted by the Antara News Agency as saying. Megawati has moved her office from the Merdeka Selatan palace to the state palace which has been vacated by former president Abdurrahman Wahid. When political leaders meet at Megawati's private residence in South Jakarta on Thursday, the new cabinet line-up shall be ready, Achmad quoted Hamzah as saying. Achmad said his office hopes the new cabinet line-up would enjoy full political support to enable it to work effectively until the end of Megawati's term in 2004. Meanwhile, Deputy Secretary General of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle Pramono Anung said Megawati will host a breakfast meeting with political party leaders on Thursday to discuss the forming of her cabinet. During the meeting, he said, the chairmen of the political parties will be asked to comment on the composition of the cabinet being drafted by the president. Megawati will need inputs to form a solid cabinet, in an effort to avert the need for frequent reshuffles in the future, he added. |
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