Jakarta – President Abdurrahman Wahid's "rainbow" Cabinet is losing its lustre. Other than yesterday's resignation of top Economics Minister Kwik Kian Gie, five other ministers have resigned or been dismissed from the Cabinet.

The "rainbow" Cabinet was formed at the onset of President Abdurrahman's rule nine months ago to accommodate the main political parties who helped vote him in as the country's first democratically elected President. Critics had said that because Cabinet members were constrained by the interests of their respective parties, they had been unable to work effectively.

The critics, including some in the legislature, had targeted the Cabinet's economic team, saying they lacked a clear vision of how to restore the economy. They said government policies in the economic sector had been erratic and not based on long-term considerations.

Economics Minister Kwik said he had resigned to allow the President a free hand to reshuffle the Cabinet. President Abdurrahman said in a progress report to the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) on Monday that he was planning a Cabinet reshuffle, but did not give an exact date.

The President also announced that he would be leaving the day-to-day running of the Cabinet to Vice-President Megawati Sukarnoputri, the head of the Indonesian Democratic Party Struggle (PDI-P), of which Mr Kwik is a prominent member.

The Cabinet reshuffle had been called for by the President's political opponents, who charged the government with not having a unified vision on how to handle the economy in the country's drive to overcome the crippling financial crisis which has hit Indonesia since mid-1997.

The ministers who left included former welfare minister Hamzah Haz, who resigned to concentrate on leading his party, the United Development Party. President Abdurrahman dismissed Trade and Industry Minister Yusuf Kalla and Investment and State Enterprise Minister Laksamana Sukardi in April.

General Wiranto, Coordinating Minister for Security and Political Affairs, was suspended following charges by the national human rights commission that he was partly responsible for the post-ballot violence in East Timor. He later resigned. State Secretary Ali Rachman also resigned.