Amien expresses dissatisfaction at reform movement<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) Speaker
\nAmien Rais expressed his discontent on Saturday over the foot-
\ndragging reform movement which he had once set the pace of.<\/p>\n
Speaking at a mass gathering held by the Muhammadiyah Muslim
\norganization in Riau's capital Pekanbaru, Amien lambasted the
\nreturn of corruption, collusion, and nepotism after the
\nboisterous, student-orchestrated reform campaign led to the
\nresignation of long-time ruler Soeharto in May 1998.<\/p>\n
\"Now there's Bulogate, Bruneigate and other kinds of gates
\nwhich I will not mention in order not to discourage you,\" Amien
\ntold Antara.<\/p>\n
He was referring to the Rp 35 billion swindle at the State
\nLogistics Agency (Bulog) which allegedly involved President
\nAbdurrahman Wahid's aides and the President's deal with Sultan of
\nBrunei Hassanal Bolkiah on financial aid to help ease problems in
\nAceh.<\/p>\n
Along with opposition leaders, Abdurrahman Wahid and Vice
\nPresident Megawati Soekarnoputri, Amien emerged with the new
\npolitical elite after the fall of New Order regime.<\/p>\n
But after his success in brokering the rise of Abdurrahman to
\nthe presidency last October, Amien has become a constant critic
\nof Abdurrahman.<\/p>\n
\"We expected that the changing of regime and government would
\nsmoothen the reform agenda,\" he told participants of the
\nMuhammadiyah gathering.<\/p>\n
Apart from the government's lackluster performance in
\neradicating corruption, Amien, who is Muhammadiyah's former
\nchairman, said the present administration had yet to uphold the
\nsupremacy of the law.<\/p>\n
\"A motorcycle thief was beaten to death, but those who stole
\nbillions of rupiah of the people's money raised by Bank Indonesia
\nto provide domestic banks with emergency liquidity loans remain
\nat large,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Earlier, a group of scholars who graduated from the University
\nof Indonesia aired their skepticism about whether the Indonesian
\npolitical elite could maintain their commitment to the reform
\nmovement.<\/p>\n
\"Instead of focusing on priority jobs of promoting the
\nsupremacy of the law, eliminating corruption, collusion and
\nnepotism practices, upholding good governance and undertaking
\neconomic recovery, the political elite are busy with
\nmaneuvering,\" the academicians grouped under the University of
\nIndonesia's Alumni Association (ILUNI UI) said in a statement on
\nFriday.<\/p>\n
Rivalry between the political elite had also turned ugly, with
\neach party trying to unseat the other to protect its own
\ninterests and not to improve the government's performance, the
\nstatement said.<\/p>\n
\"They are so busy with political maneuvering that they are
\nunable to cope with fundamental problems such as the threat of
\nnational disintegration and continuing violence pitting religious
\ngroups against each other in Ambon,\" association chairman Azrul
\nAzwar said.<\/p>\n
\"Those facts reveal that our politicians lack ethics and
\nmorality,\" he added.<\/p>\n
To promote ethics among the political elite, the association
\nwill hold a one-day symposium on Monday. The President, Vice
\nPresident, MPR Speaker, House of Representatives Speaker Akbar
\nTandjung and other party figures and religious leaders will
\nattend the symposium.<\/p>\n
Azrul said the association was not setting targets, but
\nreminding the political elite about ethics and morality. (09\/10)<\/p>",
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