Government policies open to correction: Soeharto<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): President Soeharto said yesterday government
\npolicies were open to correction but improvement efforts could
\nonly be conducted gradually.<\/p>\n
Soeharto said in a farewell party for House of Representatives
\nlegislators that the nation was in the process of obtaining an
\nenriching experience on how to manage such a big and complex
\ncountry, and it was likely that the government might adopt some
\nincorrect policies.<\/p>\n
\"All policies and strategies, either in the past, currently
\nunderway or in the future, are basically initial measures. We
\nwill enhance them if they are proven to be right, but revise them
\nif they are wrong,\" Soeharto said.<\/p>\n
He said the House had faced the same difficulties in its
\nlegislative, controlling and budgetary jobs.<\/p>\n
\"Sometimes intense deliberation remains insufficient to
\naccommodate all people's aspirations and interests,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He did not elaborate but the House had recently had to
\ndeliberate the newly endorsed broadcasting bill twice due to some
\nproblematic articles.<\/p>\n
Soeharto said the government could not bear its burden alone
\nand, therefore, was in need of the House's helping hand.<\/p>\n
\"We will have to assume far more difficult jobs if the House,
\nas our partner, does not take the real condition we are facing
\ninto account,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Vice President Try Sutrisno, House Speaker Wahono, and his
\nfour deputies, Soetedjo, John Ario Katili, Ismail Hasan Metareum
\nand Soerjadi, were present at the gathering of legislators whose
\nterm will end next Tuesday. Several cabinet ministers were also
\npresent last night including State Minister of Research and
\nTechnology B.J. Habibie.<\/p>\n
The new House legislators, most of them to serve their first
\nterm, will be installed on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
It was Soeharto's second appearance at the farewell gathering
\nsince his first in 1987.<\/p>\n
Soeharto hailed the legislators for creating a situation where
\ncabinet ministers had to work hard in many bill deliberations.<\/p>\n
\"I can say that the ministers and their staff were well-
\nprepared before encountering House legislators. The ministers
\nunderstood that they could face trouble not only from the
\nlegislators, but also public opinion, if they were not well-
\nprepared,\" Soeharto said.<\/p>\n
During their five-year term, the outgoing legislators passed
\n73 bills and a new internal rule.<\/p>\n
Wahono said in his speech that the House kept up its critical
\nstance over many government policies merely because it was doing
\nits job to control the government.<\/p>\n
\"The criticism was aimed at helping the President carry out
\nhis duties as mandated by the State Policy Guidelines,\" Wahono
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Early yesterday, secretary-general of the National Security
\nand Defense Council Soekarto said the council had started handing
\nout its draft on the State Policy Guidelines to all factions
\nattending the general session of the People's Consultative
\nAssembly in March.<\/p>\n
Soekarto said after a meeting with Soeharto that the draft was
\njust a recommendation and the council, which was chaired by the
\nPresident, did not intend to force the Assembly to adopt it as a
\nreference.<\/p>\n
The 1,000-strong Assembly will endorse the State Policy
\nGuidelines and elect a president and vice president during the
\nMarch session.<\/p>\n
Soekarto said that along with the State Policy Guidelines, the
\ncouncil had prepared a draft on Pancasila democracy and human
\nrights.<\/p>\n
He said Golkar, the United Development Party, the Indonesian
\nDemocratic Party and the Armed Forces would receive the draft on
\nTuesday. (prb\/amd)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/government-policies-open-to-correction-soeharto-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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