News Focus: PRESIDENT YET TO NAME DEPUTY MINISTERS By Bustanuddin

Jakarta, Nov 1 (ANTARA) - After President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono announced the lineup of ministers of the United Indonesia Cabinet for the 2009-2014 period on October 21, many parties, including observers, expressed hope that the president could also appoint deputy ministers for some portfolios.

Political observers and politicians argued that vice ministers were badly needed to support the performance of ministerial duties associated with their heavy jobs, especially for six ministries, namely for home affairs, foreign affairs, national education, health, finance, transportation, and law and human rights.

Until the end of October 2009, the president has yet to name any deputy minister but he had said earlier that the appointment of deputy ministers would still be in accordance with Law No. 39/2008 on the Ministries of State.

About who could be appointed as deputy ministers, Coordinating Minister for Economic affairs Hatta Rajasa said that career government officials who are civil servants would occupy the positions.

"It's certainly going to be filled by people who are professionals in their fields, or career government employees," Hatta Rajasa said in Jakarta on Wednesday (Oct.28).

Meanwhile, Law and Human Rights Minister Patrialis Akbar expressed the hope that the person to be named his deputy would be a professional, not a cadre of some political party.

But Patrialis also said it was entirely up to the president whether or not he would have a deputy.
In addition, Chairman of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) faction in the House of Representatives, Tjahjo Kumolo in Jakarta, Monday (Oct 26) also underlined the need to place deputies at several ministries.

In the meantime, House Deputy Speaker Priyo Budi Santoso said the Golkar Party faction in the House understands President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's idea to appoint deputy ministers.

"We understand that ministers whose tasks are heavy need to be assisted by deputies," he said here on Monday (Oct.26)
Priyo said that the idea was not a problem because it was regulated in Law Number 39 of 2008 on state administration.

If the President appoints some deputy ministers, he said, the Golkar Party faction would appreciate it and not question it.

"The question is not about sufficient or not sufficient but necessary or not necessary," he said, adding that in the era of former President Soeharto there were also junior ministers in a number of ministries.

But Priyo who was chairman of the Golkar Party faction in the House from 2004-2009 said that because their positions were junior ministers, dualism in leadership and overlapping programs could occur and therefore President Yudhoyono should not name junior but deputy ministers.

Meanwhile, Syah Kuala University (Unsyiah) Rector Prof Darni M Daud in Banda Aceh, capital of Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam or NAD province, had also underlined the importance of vice ministers and hoped that President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono could appoint a deputy for the national education minister.

"I think National Education Minister Muhammad Nuh should have a deputy because he has a heavy task and responsibility in the national education program that determines the fate of the nation in the future," Darni said on Saturday (Oct.24)
He made the statement in response to President Yudhoyono's plan to appoint deputy ministers for certain ministries.

Darni was of the opinion that the National Education Ministry was the biggest institution which has a large number of employees and programs to educate national children to become future leaders.

Therefore, he said there should be deputies for professional ministers to improve their tasks and responsibilities.

According to Darni, the responsibility of the National Education Ministry at present was big enough to improve the declining quality of the national education.

He pointed out that the quality of education in Indonesia was at an alarming level and therefore a hard-work was needed to make it even better.

"Our education quality at present is less competitive than that of Vietnam, and much less inferior than that of Malaysia and Singapore," Darni said.

Therefore, he added that the national education minister should make a big strategy to implement all existing programs.

"Our program to improve the quality of education in the country is good enough and therefore it should be implemented well and correctly," he said.

In the meantime, Deputy Mayor of Pontianak, Paryadi was of the view that the appointment of vice or deputy ministers will accelerate regional affairs.

"For the region the existence of deputy minister may facilitate regional matters," Paryadi said in Pontianak, Thursday (Oct.29), adding that the deputy minister will facilitate the government's work.

A political observer from the General Soedirman University in Purwokerto, Central Java province, Prof. Rubijanto Misman, believed that the position of vice minister was not something urgent to fill, and this will cause the structure for ministries become bigger as it needs specific staffers.

"I think appointing deputy ministers is not too urgent. Because
the ministers are already assisted by director-generals and secretary generals and directors," said Rubijanto.

In addition, he said, the ministries also have expert staff who help the ministers.

But, of course, it all depended on the president to decide how many deputy ministers will be appointed and when this would happen.