The Straits Times (Singapore)
September 22, 2004 Wednesday
Bambang's 5 wise men; Inner circle of advisers who
engineered his rise to power now slated for key
roles in government
By Derwin Pereira
JAKARTA - Former general Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono owes
his rise to Indonesia's highest office to
five men.
They include former Indonesian ambassador to Russia
Rachmat Witoelar, economist Joyo Winoto and two
former stalwarts of the Indonesian Democratic
Party-Struggle (PDI-P) - Mr Heru Lelono and Mr Suko
Sudarso.
Also on the list is Lieutenant-General Sudi Silalahi,
who served as secretary to Mr Bambang when he
was the security czar in the Megawati government.
Together, they form an inner circle that began
charting a strategy for Mr Bambang as far back as two
years ago that will now lead to the Merdeka palace
next month.
All five are likely to play key roles in running his
administration, with some widely tipped to be
in the Cabinet.
Insiders disclose that Lt-Gen Sudi might be offered
the powerful position of State Secretary or
security czar.
Dr Joyo is slated to head the National Planning Board,
a key post that will oversee economic
development, while Mr Rachmat may be given the Foreign
Affairs portfolio.
A well-placed source in the Bambang election team told
The Straits Times: 'They form the first ring
of advisers around Bambang.
'The others in his camp are not as significant as this
group. They were the ones who lobbied behind
the scenes and drew up the plans for him to win the
presidency.'
Of the group, Mr Heru, 49, was instrumental in paving
the way for Mr Bambang's entry into politics.
The former deputy secretary of the PDI-P's research
wing has known the retired general since 1998
when he was territorial chief in the armed forces.
'I had a sense then that Pak Bambang was destined for
greater things. He was a natural leader,' he
told The Straits Times.
It was Mr Heru who acted as middleman in arranging a
meeting between Mr Bambang and PDI-P chairman
Megawati Sukarnoputri, whom he was also close to.
Later, he worked behind the scenes to push the general
to nominate himself for the vice-presidency
in 2001.
At the same time, he lobbied Ms Megawati's husband
Taufik Kiemas to get the PDI-P to support Mr
Bambang. It did not happen as the Megawati camp went
with Mr Hamzah Haz.
But he was critical in shaping those formative years
for Mr Bambang and, through the years, has
grown close to Mr Bambang.
Sources disclose that he will be appointed in the
palace as a senior aide.
Mr Suko is the other PDI-P link. Having also met Mr
Bambang in the late 1990s, he was another
important channel to the country's then largest party
in parliament.
He was seen as 'the operator' who could liaise with
members of the PDI-P and other parties for their
support.
Some believe that he is unlikely to secure a Cabinet
appointment but will continue to play the
critical role of dealing with a potentially hostile
parliament, where Golkar and the PDI-P are
lining up in opposition against Mr Bambang.
The 63-year-old Rachmat, who once served as Golkar
secretary-general, will be the point man in
dealings with Indonesia's biggest party in parliament.
But he is known more for matchmaking Mr Bambang and
his running mate, Mr Jusuf Kalla.
He drew up a list of prospective candidates that
comprised Muslim scholar Nurcholish Madjid,
Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) chairman Hasyim Muzadi, business
tycoon Aburizal Bakrie and Mr Jusuf.
He told The Straits Times: 'It was such a natural fit.
We had in the two leaders a very saleable
commodity to the Indonesian electorate.'
According to the Tempo weekly, Mr Rachmat first met Mr
Bambang in 1993 when the career diplomat was
envoy to Russia. Mr Bambang was then head of the UN
elections monitoring contingency for Bosnia
Herzegovina.
The young military officer often visited the
Indonesian Embassy in Moscow to discuss developments
there with Mr Rachmat.
'Since that time, I have developed a close rapport
with him,' he said.
It grew closer when Mr Rachmat, disillusioned by the
Megawati administration, initiated a plan in
2002 to bring him to power.
Another key political architect is Dr Joyo, executive
director of the Brighten Institute, an
economic think-tank.
The US-trained economist was charged with building up
a network of NGOs and activists throughout
Indonesia for Mr Bambang to mount a challenge for the
presidency.
He revealed in an interview: 'We began planning for
his presidency two years ago. Everything was
well thought out and crafted so that Pak Bambang would
win it.'
In fact, Dr Joyo has even prepared a confidential
manual that outlines Mr Bambang's political and
economic strategies before the polls and after - for
the next five years.
Lt-Gen Sudi is a long-time friend of the four-star
general. They first met as military cadets more
than 30 years ago.
He is important to Mr Bambang mainly because of his
links to the Muslim camp.
Drawing on his contacts when he was East Java military
commander, Lt-Gen Sudi was used as one of the
key contacts with the 40-million-strong NU.
He played a big role in winning NU support for Mr
Bambang by attending a meeting of key clerics in
East Java two weeks before the run-off polls.
Given his background in socio-political affairs in the
military and his network to the vast
territorial command structure, he was also important
in gathering intelligence in the election
run-up.
His most significant role, however, was in triggering
Mr Bambang's entry into the presidential race
in March, just before the general election.
His public criticism of how the palace shut out Mr
Bambang from policy-making triggered a chain of
events that catapulted the general to the fore of
Indonesian politics.
The Bambang team has altogether some 1,000 members.
But it is these five men who stuck it out from
the start - and are likely to remain in positions of
influence.
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