Jakarta – President Megawati Sukarnoputri has complained about Cabinet ministers who quit to challenge her in the coming presidential election.
Their departure weakened her government, she said on Thursday at a General Elections Commission (KPU) meeting.
She called for a way to prevent the political interests of ministers from affecting the administration of the country.
"If a minister joins the presidential race, then what we experience today will recur," she said. "The ministers just leave the Cabinet without finishing their duties," she was quoted as saying by KPU deputy chairman Ramlan Surbakti.
The President asked the commission for input to help the next government cope with such a situation in the future. "I raise this issue not because I am the incumbent president but such a matter should not happen again," she said.
In the July 5 election, the President will face three of her former ministers and her deputy, Mr Hamzah Haz. Former coordinating minister for political and security affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is the presidential candidate from the Democratic Party. His running mate is former coordinating minister for people's welfare, Mr Jusuf Kalla. Former communications minister Agum Gumelar is the vice-presidential candidate of the United Development Party (PPP), which has nominated its leader, Mr Hamzah, as its presidential candidate.
Earlier this month, Ms Megawati branded ministers contesting the presidential election as "leaping squirrels" for abandoning Cabinet and state duties to pursue their own political interests.
But she was soon criticised by observers who said that with or without resignations, her Cabinet had never worked effectively. "Mega should realise that her government does work well in many fields. So when some ministers resign, she should not use their departure as an excuse for her administration"s performance,' political analyst Arbi Sanit said.
The current Cabinet was unable to resolve key problems, particularly corruption, law enforcement and unemployment, he said. "Moreover it is a minister's right to resign from the Cabinet."
Another observer, Mr Saiful Mujani, said the resignations were a consequence of Ms Megawati's rainbow Cabinet which had not built strong ties with her Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle. And he warned her against complaining too loudly about the resignations as it could backfire on her own campaign.