Jakarta – A majority of people want President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to prioritize competence and personality over political and ethnic background when selecting personnel for his new Cabinet in the next five years, says a recent Indo Barometer survey.
The survey, consisting of 1,200 respondents from different economic and political background in 33 provinces, indicates Indonesians want their President to select progressive, competent and dedicated people capable of carrying out and advancing his programs.
"Some 95.9 percent of respondents think a minister must be sufficiently capable and competent, and 94.5 percent want the selected ministers to have a good personality regardless of their political and ethnic background," Indo Barometer executive director M. Qodari said, when presenting the survey's results on Thursday.
The survey, which was conducted from Aug. 18 to Aug. 26 and financed by a number of research companies, indicates its participants concur with political analysts who have urged the President to form a slim Cabinet and appoint competent people, including members from his Democratic Party's coalition.
The President should also pay attention to the youth, the survey concludes, as 36.2 percent of the respondents said at least half of the Cabinet should consist of young individuals. Only 30.3 percent of the surveyed individuals are ready to accept old figures in the next Cabinet.
"Young individuals are those under the age of 40, according to 33.9 percent of our respondents who were asked about the maximum age someone should be to be considered young," Qodari said.
The survey shows that only 56.5 percent of the respondents think that having the support of political parties is important.
However, the survey also highlights that the respondents do not have any objection to Yudhoyono giving some of the ministerial posts to parties who have won seats in the legislative elections. "Around 40 percent of our respondents agree with the idea of accommodating political parties in the next Cabinet," Qodari said.
The survey also shows that 60.2 percent of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) voters want their party's top brass to be included in the next Cabinet.
Effendi Simbolon, a legislator from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), said the party would consider these survey results as input to determine whether the party would coalesce with the government or form the opposition in the parliament.
"However, Megawati Soekarnoputri [PDI-P chairwoman], will ultimately decide what our final stance will be on this matter, " he said. Effendi also said it would be another month before the PDI-P made up its mind on the issue.
Many political analysts have advised Yudhoyono to ignore his political rivals – the PDI-P and the Golkar Party – when forming his next Cabinet, to ensure a system of checks and balances remains in the House. They added Yudhoyono should prioritize professionals over politicians in his next Cabinet.
According to the survey, the respondents want the posts of religious affairs minister, finance minister, and the state coordinating minister for politics and security to be given to professionals, not political party elite.
Democratic Party Secretary General Marzuki Alie said at the conference that he believed Yudhoyono would make the right decisions about the next Cabinet and that he would announce the Cabinet lineup in time. (hdt)