Appointment of Bank Indonesia Governor: Government Disappointed
Friday, 14 March, 2008 | 13:30 WIB

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta: The government responded to DPR’s Commission on Financing and Banking rejection of the candidates for Governor of Bank Indonesia (BI) proposed by the President last Wednesday.

“I am disappointed”, said state secretary, Hatta Rajasa, at the press conference in Dakar, Senegal, yesterday. “They have to explain the reason for rejection to the government and public”.

According to Hatta, it is important because the government has fulfilled all rules and regulations for the candidates.

However, vice president Jusuf Kalla said the government had accepted the rejection. “The government respects DPR's decision, although this is the first time this has happened”, said Kalla in his office yesterday.

Kalla said the rejection is more of an internal problem of DPR. “Every fraction has his own interest”, he said. “We respect that and will not intervene”.

In the meeting, attended by 50 members of DPR’s Commission on Finance and Banking last Wednesday, 29 voted to reject the two candidates, 21 voted for Agus Martowardojo as BI governor, and no member voted for Raden Pardede.

“The rejection is because the house wants a candidate directly from BI”, said Andi Rahmat, a member of the commission.

According to Kalla, the government does not think this rejection is a final decision of DPR. DPR should hold a plenary session to finalize it. “Because it is not final yet, government will wait for DPR to absoluely reject the two candidates. ”

If the DPR rejects the candidates at the plenary session, then the President will propose candidates again. “The President will propose one more time”, Kalla said.

Kalla said the government meanwhile still have two to three weeks before it is finalized. And because this issue is not urgent, he said, the government does not have to rush to determine new candidates. “So the President does not have to cut short his international visit”.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is visiting four countries in the Middle East and Africa and will return to Indonesia on March 20th.

In response to a request that the government proposes candidates from BI internally, Kalla said it is not necessary for the government to do that. “The government has followed the regulations,” he said. “The BI Governor has been from both BI externally and internally.”

Regarding the possibility of the President proposing Boediono, a recent Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Hatta Rajasa said that it is too early to comment. “Basically, the President will follow the regulations,” said Hatta.

TOMI A | ANTON | GUNANTO | BAMBANG HARYMURTI (SENEGAL)