JAKARTA. President-elect Joko “Jokowi” Widodo should install a career diplomat as his foreign minister given the many international challenges the country faces, including the 2015 ASEAN Economic Community (AEC), unresolved border issues with neighboring countries and conflict in the South China Sea, say observers. Jokowi is considering a shortlist of ministerial candidates proposed by his transition team and political parties in his coalition. Of the 200 candidates on the list, Jokowi has whittled it down to 42 names deemed competent enough to join the Cabinet. “A good foreign minister should have diplomatic skills while being able to fight for our national interest. We are facing challenges, particularly in the form of the AEC and border issues, which will impact on our national interest. The South China Sea issue is also a challenge,” University of Indonesia (UI) international relations department head Evi Fitriani told The Jakarta Post over the weekend. Evi said a career diplomat as foreign minister was better as “a political appointee for the job would be encumbered by politics”. According to the academic, the foreign minister should have the ability “to make the ministry a focal point of our domestic policies”. On the campaign trail, Jokowi said the government should support the AEC while safeguarding the local market with barriers to curb the expansion of foreign businesses in the country. Jokowi also said the country needed to be cautious in positioning itself amid the worsening regional dispute in the South China Sea, since Indonesia was not a claimant to the natural resource-rich territory. Evi explained that the new foreign minister must be able to work with other ministries, for example, with the Law and Human Rights Ministry and ministries related to the economy, as foreign policy issues were now linked to other sectors. According to her, those suitable for the ministerial post were candidates that were deemed “the ministry’s brightest” diplomats. Names likely to be in the frame include current Indonesian Ambassador to Belgium, the EU and Luxembourg Arif Havas Oegroseno, deemed a rising star who graduated from the 13th class of the Foreign Ministry’s training school. Arif is also former director-general for international treaties and legal affairs. Other names are Foreign Ministry director-general for Asia-Pacific and Africa Yuri Thamrin, Indonesia’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Desra Percaya, Indonesian Ambassador to the Netherlands Retno LP Marsudi and former Indonesian permanent representative to the UN Makarim Wibisono, who at 67 years old, may be considered too old for the job. Ganewati Wuryandari of the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) said the best candidates for the job should have more than just good experience in diplomacy. “It’s not only about being ready to face foreign affairs challenges. A minister should protect our own interests. Diplomatic skills are not enough. A minister must also be familiar with the ministry itself,” Ganewati said, adding that a young diplomat was best suited to the job. Former Hanura Party lawmaker Susaningtyas Kertopati, who is familiar with security and foreign affairs, said the next foreign minister should be a career diplomat who had “strong leadership skills and the ability to encourage good teamwork”. Such strong leadership is considered essential, as the Jokowi team has announced that the deputy foreign minister post will be retained due to the unique working characteristics of the ministry, which involves numerous bilateral and multilateral issues. “Jokowi must consider the chemistry between the minister and the deputy. We do not want to see dual leadership here,” Evi said. (Ina Parlina)
Career diplomat best for foreign minister post
JAKARTA. President-elect Joko “Jokowi” Widodo should install a career diplomat as his foreign minister given the many international challenges the country faces, including the 2015 ASEAN Economic Community (AEC), unresolved border issues with neighboring countries and conflict in the South China Sea, say observers. Jokowi is considering a shortlist of ministerial candidates proposed by his transition team and political parties in his coalition. Of the 200 candidates on the list, Jokowi has whittled it down to 42 names deemed competent enough to join the Cabinet. “A good foreign minister should have diplomatic skills while being able to fight for our national interest. We are facing challenges, particularly in the form of the AEC and border issues, which will impact on our national interest. The South China Sea issue is also a challenge,” University of Indonesia (UI) international relations department head Evi Fitriani told The Jakarta Post over the weekend. Evi said a career diplomat as foreign minister was better as “a political appointee for the job would be encumbered by politics”. According to the academic, the foreign minister should have the ability “to make the ministry a focal point of our domestic policies”. On the campaign trail, Jokowi said the government should support the AEC while safeguarding the local market with barriers to curb the expansion of foreign businesses in the country. Jokowi also said the country needed to be cautious in positioning itself amid the worsening regional dispute in the South China Sea, since Indonesia was not a claimant to the natural resource-rich territory. Evi explained that the new foreign minister must be able to work with other ministries, for example, with the Law and Human Rights Ministry and ministries related to the economy, as foreign policy issues were now linked to other sectors. According to her, those suitable for the ministerial post were candidates that were deemed “the ministry’s brightest” diplomats. Names likely to be in the frame include current Indonesian Ambassador to Belgium, the EU and Luxembourg Arif Havas Oegroseno, deemed a rising star who graduated from the 13th class of the Foreign Ministry’s training school. Arif is also former director-general for international treaties and legal affairs. Other names are Foreign Ministry director-general for Asia-Pacific and Africa Yuri Thamrin, Indonesia’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Desra Percaya, Indonesian Ambassador to the Netherlands Retno LP Marsudi and former Indonesian permanent representative to the UN Makarim Wibisono, who at 67 years old, may be considered too old for the job. Ganewati Wuryandari of the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) said the best candidates for the job should have more than just good experience in diplomacy. “It’s not only about being ready to face foreign affairs challenges. A minister should protect our own interests. Diplomatic skills are not enough. A minister must also be familiar with the ministry itself,” Ganewati said, adding that a young diplomat was best suited to the job. Former Hanura Party lawmaker Susaningtyas Kertopati, who is familiar with security and foreign affairs, said the next foreign minister should be a career diplomat who had “strong leadership skills and the ability to encourage good teamwork”. Such strong leadership is considered essential, as the Jokowi team has announced that the deputy foreign minister post will be retained due to the unique working characteristics of the ministry, which involves numerous bilateral and multilateral issues. “Jokowi must consider the chemistry between the minister and the deputy. We do not want to see dual leadership here,” Evi said. (Ina Parlina)
