Golkar, FUG say govt slow, weak<\/p>\n
Ahmad Junaidi and Fitri Wulandari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The Golkar Party faction and the Interest Groups faction (FUG)
\nat the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) criticized on Friday
\nthe government under President Megawati Soekarnoputri as weak and
\nslow in handling several problems in the country.<\/p>\n
In its commentary to Megawati's Thursday report to the
\nAssembly, Golkar accused the government of discrimination in its
\nefforts to eradicate corruption and collusion.<\/p>\n
\"The government is slow and not serious in handling certain
\ncases, such as the case concerning Bank Indonesia liquidity
\nsupport (BLBI) funds,\" Golkar faction spokesman Agun Gunandjar
\nSudarsa said in a plenary session.<\/p>\n
The BLBI case centers around Rp 144.5 trillion of liquidity
\nsupport funds given by the central bank to 48 banks to help them
\nwithstand massive bank runs in the wake of economy crisis in
\n1997-1998.<\/p>\n
Results from a State Audit Agency (BPK) investigation showed
\nthat Rp 138.5 trillion of the support funds had been misused by
\nthe banks.<\/p>\n
On a more positive note, Agun said his faction appreciated the
\ngovernment's effort to propose several bills aimed at eradicating
\ncorruption and collusion.<\/p>\n
The FUG shared Golkar's view, saying the government was slow
\nin producing results.<\/p>\n
\"Megawati's administration has been working for a year but has
\nyet to make significant achievements,\" FUG spokesman Said Agil
\nSiradj said.<\/p>\n
Friday's session, in which the factions delivered their
\ncommentaries to the government's progress report, was attended by
\nMegawati, Vice President Hamzah Haz, House of Representatives
\nSpeaker Akbar Tandjung, State Audit Agency chairman Satrio B.
\nJoedono, Supreme Court Chief Justice Bagir Manan and several
\nCabinet ministers.<\/p>\n
Said, who is also an executive of the country's largest Muslim
\norganization Nahdlatul Ulama, said his faction noted the
\ngovernment's uncertainty in dealing with conflict in Aceh, Maluku
\nand Papua.<\/p>\n
The FUG also noted rampant crimes such as smuggling, drug
\nabuse and fake money circulation. The latter is believed to
\ninvolve certain state officials, he said.<\/p>\n
The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan)
\nfaction, meanwhile, was full of praise for Megawati, who is also
\nleader of the party.<\/p>\n
PDI Perjuangan defended the government for its efforts to
\nuphold the law and to find solutions to various conflicts.<\/p>\n
PDI Perjuangan, Golkar and FUG, with 179 legislators, 146
\nlegislators and 63 legislators at the MPR respectively, were
\ngiven the first opportunity to deliver their views on the
\ngovernment's past performance, while the smaller factions will
\ndeliver their views on Saturday.<\/p>\n
Also on Friday, several non-governmental organizations (NGOs)
\njoined the chorus of criticism.<\/p>\n
On legal affairs, the National Consortium for Legal Reform
\n(KRHN) maintained that law enforcement under Megawati's
\nadministration had been very much clouded with political
\nbargaining and vested interests.<\/p>\n
\"The law is being abused and reduced into a power instrument
\nto intimidate and for short-term interests,\" Firmansyah Arifin,
\ncoordinator of KRHN, stated in a release distributed at the
\nlegislative building.<\/p>\n
The government has yet to fully carry out the principle of
\nequality before the law and law for justice, he added.<\/p>\n
Firmansyah cited several cases, including the high-profile
\nBLBI case.<\/p>\n
Another NGO, the Working Committee for Agrarian Reform (PA-
\nPSDA), criticized the government's ignorance of environmental
\nissues.<\/p>\n
PA-PSDA questioned the President's failure to mention the
\nimplementation of MPR Decree No. IX\/MPR\/2001 on agrarian reform
\nand natural resources management.<\/p>\n
The decree, which was approved at the Assembly's 2001 Annual
\nSession, aims at addressing the exploitation of natural resources
\nthat has caused environmental destruction.<\/p>\n
PA-PSDA demanded the government establish a special committee
\nto follow up on the decree. The committee will be tasked with
\npreparing a working plan for restructuring land reform, settling
\nland disputes and reviewing the Agrarian Law as mandated in the
\ndecree.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/golkar-fug-say-govt-slow-weak-1447893297",
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