INDONESIA MOVES TO CREATE DEPUTY FM POSITION

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 JAKARTA 000597 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/MLS NSC FOR E.PHU E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/25/2018 TAGS: PGOV PREL ID SUBJECT: INDONESIA MOVES TO CREATE DEPUTY FM POSITION Classified By: Pol/C Joseph Legend Novak, reasons 1.4 (b+d). ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: President Yudhoyono has issued an executive order creating the new position of "Vice Minister" in the Department of Foreign Affairs. Palace sources said the new deputy slot was necessary to take care of the press of business. Legislators have raised questions about the move and demanded clarification. Speculation is rife as to who might fill the new slot, but the GOI has not yet tipped its hand. END SUMMARY A NEW NUMBER TWO SLOT ¶2. (U) Presidential Spokesman Andi Malarangeng announced on March 22 that President Yudhoyono had signed an executive order on March 10 creating a deputy minister position in the Department of Foreign Affairs (DEPLU). (Note: DEPLU's "Secretary-General" position--which is now held by Imron Cotan--has been widely considered the number two slot up to now.) The position apparently will not be cabinet-level. In explaining the move, Malarangeng stressed that the press of business made the new position necessary. SBY continued to have full confidence in FM Wirajuda, he noted. Wirajuda's frequent travel--and the difficulty the president has in communicating with Wirajuda when he is out of the country--also were considerations in the decision to create the job. ¶3. (U) FM Wirajuda stated to the press that the position would go to a career diplomat rather than a political appointee. Media speculation has centered on a number of possible candidates to fill the slot, including senior diplomats Makarim Wibisono, PermRep to the UN in Geneva, and Triyono Wibowo, PermRep to the UN in Vienna. Two younger diplomats are also mentioned as possible candidates, including Marty Natalegawa, PermRep at the UN in New York, and Dino Djalal, a career DEPLU officer who currently serves as a top presidential advisor. ¶4. (C) DEPLU has long sought the creation of such a position. Umar Hadi, DEPLU's Director for Public Diplomacy and a close associate of Wirajuda's, told Dep/Pol/C on March 24 that the Department had first formally proposed creation of the deputy minister position in 2002 and now wanted to move ahead as quickly as possible. Hadi expected a candidate to be named soon. ¶5. (C) Denny Abdi, Special Assistant to DEPLU Secretary-General Imron Cotan, told poloff that FM Wirajuda SIPDIS would propose a senior diplomat for the position. He noted that--although President Yudhoyono would make the final decision regarding the selection--it was expected that the president would give the nod to Wirajuda's nominee. Observers suggest that the president will want someone he is close to and trusts in the new position. LEGISLATORS HAVE QUESTIONS ¶6. (U) Legislators have publicly wondered whether the new slot is necessary. Yuddy Chrisnandi, a member of the foreign and security affairs committee of the Indonesian legislature (DPR),told reporters that he and other members of the DPR were not convinced that the new position was necessary. He specifically questioned the cost of the new position. Committee Chairman Theo Sambuaga told the media that the President's Office must consult further with the DPR before formally creating the position. ¶7. (C) DPR members are also angry because they feel that the President's Office and DEPLU failed to consult with them before announcing the new position, according to contacts. DPR members have also questioned the possible precedent this move might set for other ministries (which generally do not have deputies). Ambassador Djismun Kasri, a retired DEPLU official who advises the DPR, told poloff that lawmakers were JAKARTA 00000597 002 OF 002 unsure how the new position would relate to DEPLU's existing hierarchy. ¶8. (SBU) (Note: Re the existing hierarchy: the Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs officially serves as acting Foreign Minister when the FM is traveling. Thus, DEPLU's Secretary-General, who basically acts as the number-two official when the FM is in country, does not serve in an "acting" role when the FM is out of the country. End Note.) WHAT'S NEXT? ¶9. (C) Under the Indonesian Constitution, Yudhoyono can technically move forward and install a new vice minister position without having to satisfy DPR concerns. However, observers expect that the government will work to assuage the DPR's concerns before naming anyone to the position. This would be a prudent course of action, given the fact that the DPR has become an increasingly important player on foreign policy issues and can be obstreperous if crossed. Speculation is rife as to who might fill the new slot, but the GOI has not yet tipped its hand. HUME