Kuntoro might be replaced by Erry Riyana

Kuntoro Mangkusubroto, the president of state electricity company PT PLN, is rumored to be replaced by Erry Riyana Harjapamekas, currently president of state tin miner PT Timah which Kuntoro once led.

Source at the State Palace said that President Abdurrahman Wahid had approved the planned replacement of Kuntoro by Erry, notably Kuntoro's groomed leader for Timah.

Erry has reportedly came to the Palace several times to meet President Abdurrahman, to confirm his planned appointment as PLN president.

When contacted by phone by Media, Erry in the beginning talked freely to Media. But when asked about his planned appointment as PLN president, Erry cut the conversation and said: "Please don't talk about it now." And then, he hanged up.

When Media contacted him for the second time, Erry said that it was not true that he would be promoted to become PLN president. "That's only rumors. Don't believe in rumors as they might not be correct... The problems of PLN are so heavy. Lucky, Kuntoro is willing to serve as PLN president."

Kuntoro could not be reached for comment.

The rumor about the planned replacement of Kuntoro by Erry has also been heard by legislator Pramono Anung of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle.

Pramono said he disagreed if Kuntoro was replaced by Erry. He noted that Kuntoro was the right person to change PLN into a professional company, just like what he did to Timah when he was president there. Kuntoro was successfully transformed Timah from a money losing company to a world-class tin miner.

With strong backing from the government, Pramono said Kuntoro would be able to solve the problems between PLN and independent power producers. Kuntoro, Pramono said, had the leverage to negotiate with foreign power producers.

And Erry just does not have those capacities, Pramono said. "He does not an experience to deal with serious problems like those in PLN." (*)