VP shuns latest Wahid cabinet reshuffle

Megawati is said not being consulted on the cabinet reshuffle, whic gives Ramli (L) in charge of the finance portfolio

By CNN's Yenni Kwok

JAKARTA, Indonesia -- Embattled Indonesian President Abdurrahman Wahid is scheduled to swear in new ministers after naming a new economic team in his second shake-up in 11 days.

Vice-President Megawati was not consulted on Tuesday's cabinet changes, according to Soetjipto, secretary general of Megawati's Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P).

"She just laughed when we asked for her comment on the cabinet reshuffle," Soetjipto said, as quoted by The Jakarta Post.

The rifts between Wahid and his deputy appear to have deepened in recent weeks.

Megawati was conspicuously absent in the inauguration ceremony of the ministers promoted in the shake-up on June 1, and, she later snubbed a cabinet meeting.

Wahid dismissed finance minister Prijadi Praptosuhardjo and replaced him with Rizal Ramli, the coordinating minister for economic affairs.

He appointed a little-known bureaucrat, Burhanuddin Abdullah to take up Ramli's old job as the senior economics minister.

Megawati was expected to skip Wednesday's swearing in of new economic ministers, an aide said.

"Madame Vice President will not attend," the aide told Reuters news agency.

Political pawns

The new appointments have met with a cool reception from many analysts who say the cabinet changes during Wahid administration have been too many and too often.

"There is no significance on the economy," said economist Didik Rachbini. "The changes show the ministers are only used as political pawns."

Wahid seems to pursue both offensive and lobbying tactics with his political rivals

Also on Tuesday, Wahid issued permissions for the Attorney General's Office to investigate two leaders of Indonesia's biggest political parties on graft allegations.

One is House Speaker Akbar Tandjung, who is also chairman of Golkar Party, while the other is Arifin Panigoro, leader of PDI-P parliamentary faction.

Wahid's job is on the line after Parliament censured him twice, based on allegations of his involvement in two financial scandals.

The president has denied any wrongdoing, and the Attorney General's Office has also cleared him from the charges.

Following the stand-off, the supreme legislature, the People's Consultative Assembly, are scheduled to hold a special session in early August, where the frail Muslim cleric is expected to be impeached.

Political analyst Salim Said believes Wahid tries to obtain public sympathy by creating the impression he is acting tough on corruption.

"The problem is, he doesn't need public sympathy but sympathy from Parliament," commented Said. "His fate depends on Golkar and PDI-P, the two biggest parties, so I don't understand why he attacks the parties' leaders."

Wahid seems to pursue both offensive and lobbying tactics.

He appointed a team of four ministers to lobby leaders of opposition parties in an attempt to thwart the impeachment process.