Anticorruption campaign and press freedom<\/p>\n
Abdullah Alamudi , Jakarta<\/p>\n
December will witness Indonesia's drive to eradicate its most
\nserious and deepest social disease: Corruption. On Friday, the
\nPresident is scheduled to attend an informal meeting on the plan
\nto launch an anticorruption campaign. Next Thursday, he will sign
\na presidential decree on the Anticorruption Action Plan. The
\nanticorruption campaign, from Dec. 3 to Dec. 14, is part of
\nIndonesia's participation in the UN day against corruption, which
\nfalls on Dec. 9.<\/p>\n
President Susilo has made corruption eradication his first
\npriority. So much so that he himself will lead the campaign.<\/p>\n
However, anticorruption campaigns and promises have become too
\nfamiliar to us -- from the days of the nation's first president,
\nSukarno, to Soeharto to Habibie and Abdurrahman Wahid. In fact,
\nduring her first days in office, Megawati Soekarnoputri told the
\nnation that she would not allow any member of her family to
\nmisuse the power that came with her presidency. Political
\nobservers, however, say that corruption was also rampant during
\nher rule.<\/p>\n
If Susilo is really serious about corruption eradication, he
\nshould promote checks and balances among the three pillars of
\ndemocracy -- executive, legislative and judicial -- and fully
\nsupport the fourth, the press, as the watchdog of an open and
\naccountable government. But the press must be free. Only a free
\npress can provide independent reports.<\/p>\n
During the presidential election campaign, both Susilo and his
\nrunning mate, Jusuf Kalla, promised that the new government would
\nnot reestablish the notorious Ministry of Information (Deppen).
\nNow there is the Office of the State Minister of Communications
\nand Information, an office first created by Megawati in 2001, to
\nreplace Deppen, which had been dissolved by Abdurrahman Wahid in
\n1999.<\/p>\n
Staff members of the current office also worked under the
\noffice during Megawati's tenure. According to many members of the
\nIndonesian Broadcasting Commission (KPI), the Indonesian Press
\nand Broadcasting Society (MPPI) and the Coalition for the
\nPublic's Right to Freedom of Information, their way of thinking
\nis still under the old paradigm -- all information is closed,
\nwith some exceptions. On the other hand, the MPPI and the
\nCoalition insist that, in a democracy, all information is open
\nwith a few exceptions.<\/p>\n
So much so that, last week, the KPI sent to Susilo a draft of
\n147 articles on rules and regulations that govern the operations
\nand conduct of broadcasting institutions.<\/p>\n
The move was taken to counter a package of seven different
\ndrafts prepared by the Office, which the KPI, the MPPI and the
\nCoalition considered controversial, and contrary to the public's
\nright to information.<\/p>\n
It remains to be seen whether Susilo and State Minister of
\nCommunications and Information Sofyan Djalil, who seems to be
\nmore open-minded than his predecessor, can steer the Office
\ntoward being more inclusive of the new paradigm. We also want to
\nsee whether, as a retired Army general, Susilo is sincerely
\nappreciative of press freedom.<\/p>\n
Under the prevailing Broadcasting Law, the KPI is an
\nindependent regulatory body, similar to the U.S. Federal
\nCommunications Commission or the British Broadcasting Authority,
\nor those in Australia and Germany.<\/p>\n
The law stipulates that only the government can issue
\ngovernment regulations, but the same law also rules that the KPI
\nhas the right to make rules and regulations regarding
\nbroadcasting, and the government must abide by the law. Since the
\nPresident, the vice president and Cabinet ministers, swore, in
\ntheir oaths, to abide by the law and uphold the 1945
\nConstitution, the public is now waiting to see whether or not
\nthey will uphold Article 28 of the Constitution, which guarantees
\npress freedom.<\/p>\n
Susilo cannot rely only on government officials or
\nintelligence agencies' reports, which are also tarnished by
\ncorruption. Susilo needs all the independent reports he can
\ngather in order to make good decisions, since a good decision is
\nbased on well-informed input.<\/p>\n
Press freedom can provide the government with the information
\nit needs to combat corruption, make Susilo's Anticorruption
\nAction Plan work, and allow for an open society.<\/p>\n
The writer is a senior journalist, a lecturer at Dr. Soetomo
\nPress Institute and a member of the Indonesian Press and
\nBroadcasting Society (MPPI). He can be reached at
\nabdullahalamudi@yahoo.com .<\/p>",
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