UPDATE 1-Rajasa "has economic post" in next Indonesia cabinet

BOGOR, Indonesia, Oct 17 - Indonesia's State Secretary, Hatta Rajasa, said on Saturday he would have an economic post in President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's next cabinet.

Rajasa did not elaborate as to which economic post he would have, but in recent days there has been speculation he could be appointed Co-ordinating Minister for the Economy.

Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati, a respected technocrat, currently holds the economic co-ordinating post in addition to finance. She is widely expected to retain the finance portfolio in the next cabinet.

Yudhoyono, a reform-driven ex-general who won a second, five-year term in a presidential election in July, is due to announce his cabinet next week, following his inauguration on October 20.

Candidates for the cabinet are meeting Yudhoyono at his home in Bogor, south of the capital Jakarta, this weekend to be interviewed for the various posts.

Rajasa is a close ally of the president and was widely expected to get a cabinet post. As he emerged from his meeting at the president's house, he was asked by reporters what position he would have.

"It is very clearly in the economic sector," Rajasa said.

"I have been interviewed by the president. The president talked about our economic sector, what we have to achieve, how we cut poverty.

Finance Minister Indrawati arrived shortly afterwards to meet the president.