"I have unfortunate news to reveal. At about 1.30 p.m., the transition teams chairperson Rini Soemarno contacted us informing that the scheduled meeting had been canceled because an unexpected event had occurred that could not be avoided," Chairul Tanjung reported in his office after attending a plenary cabinet meeting here on Friday.
A meeting between the transition team, Rini Soemarno, and Chief Economic Minister Chairul Tanjung was scheduled to take place on Friday evening, following the teams meeting with Vice President Boediono earlier.
Chairul was not aware of the agenda that the team had set for the discussion.
Earlier, Chairul had received an official letter from Jokowi with regard to the meeting. The team will meet in the framework of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyonos efforts to assist the new government (2014-2019).
Minister Chairul Tanjung had previously stated that he was ready to receive and hold dialog with Jokowis transition team.
"We are ready to receive the transition teams chairperson Rini Soemarno and colleagues after President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono held a cabinet plenary meeting with the transition team," the chief economic minister said here on Thursday night.
Chairul Tanjung said the meeting was expected to smoothen the transitional process of the new government, so that the next government could work effectively beginning from October 21, 2014.
He denied the allegation that the meeting was a kind of joint government that will help the incumbent government until the new government was installed on October 20, 2014.
"President Yudhoyono will still govern until October 20. The presence of the transition team does not imply a joint government but a goodwill to facilitate a smooth transition," the coordinating minister stressed.
He affirmed that he will only hold dialog with the team who held the official mandate from Jokowi, and he will ask for an official letter from the mandate holder, as the discussions will include matters on state secret. Everyone cannot be informed of state secrets. Many individuals claimed to be members of the team.
President Yudhoyono had earlier assigned Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Djoko Suyanto, Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Chairul Tanjung, and Minister/State Secretary Sudi Silalahi to hold dialogs with the transition team.
In early August, Yudhoyono had stated that he and his cabinet ministers were willing to support the process of forming the next government once the Constitutional Court gave its verdict with regard to presidential candidate Prabowo Subiantos lawsuit and confirmed the winner of the July 9, 2014, presidential election.
The first official meeting between Jokowi and President Yudhoyono finally took place in Nusa Dua, Bali, on August 27, 2014.
In a televised press statement following the meeting, President Yudhoyono asserted his moral obligation to assist Jokowi, who will lead the new government in the 2014-2019 period.
He remarked that the consultation process, as a new tradition, should be carried out in an era of democracy in Indonesia for the good of the nation.
Yudhoyono added that they had discussed some important issues regarding state and government affairs that need to be tackled before the end of 2014 and at the beginning of 2015.
(A014/INE)
EDITED BY INE.
Editor: Suryanto
Copyright © ANTARA 2014
