Megawati swears in new Cabinet

By Amit Baruah

SINGAPORE, AUG. 26. A new 26-member Cabinet was sworn in by the Indonesian Vice- President, Ms. Megawati Sukarnoputri, in the presence of the President, Mr. Abdurrahman Wahid, in Jakarta today.

Setting aside her reservations about the new team announced by Mr. Wahid earlier this week, Ms. Megawati was at hand to swear in the Ministers, a task she has performed previously. A Presidential decree, delineating the Vice- President's duties, which include formulating the agenda for Cabinet meetings and evaluating Ministerial performance, was also read out at today's function.

While the exact powers to be enjoyed by Ms. Megawati remain unclear, as of now the Vice-President has consented to work with the President. There has been considerable media speculation about differences between Mr. Wahid and Ms. Megawati, some of which were scotched by a meeting between the two on Thursday evening.

In a separate development, the Indonesian Attorney- General, Mr. Marzuki Darusman, said the names of officials involved in last year's excesses in East Timor would be made public next week. Mr. Darusman was quoted as telling reporters in Jakarta that the list would include the names of 30 senior officials, but no details were made available.

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Section  : International
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