Free access to info 'key to clean govt'<\/p>\n
Ridwan Max Sijabat, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The government has been accused of stalling the deliberation of a
\nbill on free access to information, casting doubt over its
\ncommitment to clean and good governance.<\/p>\n
Sabam Leo Batubara, a member of the National Press Council,
\nsaid many sides were disappointed with the government when
\nMinister for Information and Communications Sofyan Djalil asked
\nthe House of Representatives to delay the debate on the bill,
\nwhich he said was less urgent.<\/p>\n
"The strange thing is that while suspending the bill, the
\nHouse has given priority to controversial bills on state
\nintelligence, national defense and the amended criminal code,
\nwhich will lead to the return of an authoritarian regime," Leo
\ntold a seminar.<\/p>\n
The free access to information bill was proposed in 2001 along
\nwith the press bill by the National Commission on Human Rights
\nand a coalition of non-governmental organizations in a bid to
\nbuild a civil society and a clean and good governance. The House
\nhas proposed it as an initiative bill.<\/p>\n
To start a bill's deliberation, the President needs to appoint
\nminister(s) who will represent the government.<\/p>\n
The bill on free access to information requires state
\ninstitutions and officials to provide the public with all the
\nnecessary information that affects them.<\/p>\n
Leo questioned President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's commitment
\nto clean and good governance and corruption eradication since he
\nhad not been transparent enough in running his administration.<\/p>\n
"Indonesia will remain fertile ground for corruption and the
\ngovernment's performance will remain poor if state institutions
\nand officials continue to keep their budgetary spending from the
\npublic," he said.<\/p>\n
Efforts to curb corruption in the bureaucracy and state
\ncompanies will work if the government opens up access to
\ninformation concerning budgetary spending, policymaking and law
\nenforcement to the press, according to Leo.<\/p>\n
"If the bill takes effect, the finance ministry is required to
\npublish the total taxes it has collected, state companies such as
\nPertamina and PT PLN must offer all their procurement and
\ndevelopment projects through public tenders and law enforcers
\nhave to be transparent in handling corruption cases, gambling,
\ndrug abuse, illegal logging and other high-profile crimes," he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Hasto Atmodjo, commissioner of civil and political rights at
\nthe National Commission on Human Rights, called for public
\npressure to make the government go to the House to debate the
\nbill.<\/p>\n
"The government is obliged to enforce the bill as soon as
\npossible because access to information is a fundamental human
\nright and part of democracy. Those who resist the bill are afraid
\nof being brought to justice," he said.<\/p>\n
Made Subamia, a senior official at the Directorate General for
\nHuman Rights Protection at the Ministry of Justice and Human
\nRights, said many state institutions and public officials had
\navoided the press due to frequent inaccuracy and one-sided
\ncoverage.<\/p>\n
"Many public officials and figures have sued mass media in
\ncourt, instead of using the press law in case of reports deemed
\nlibelous, mostly because journalists ignore the presumption of
\ninnocence principle," he said.<\/p>\n
Leo said only 6 percent of around 700 print media in the
\ncountry were deemed professional. More publications will close
\nthrough 'natural selection', since they cannot meet the market's
\ndemands for accurate, up-to-date and educative information, Leo
\nadded.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/free-access-to-info-key-to-clean-govt-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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