Govt must show greater unity, YKPK says<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): A group of respected statesmen yesterday urged
\nthe government to show greater unity, saying that recent discord
\namong cabinet members is undermining the integrity of the entire
\nadministration.<\/p>\n
There must be solid cooperation between senior government
\nofficials, the National Brotherhood Foundation, known by its
\nIndonesian acronyms YKPK, said yesterday.<\/p>\n
\"The working of the government has become the subject of
\npublic gossip,\" foundation chairman Lt. Gen. (ret.) Bambang
\nTriantoro told journalists.<\/p>\n
\"The people need an example,\" he said, reading the group's
\nstatement on its hopes for 1996. \"In the spirit of the 1945
\nConstitution, ministers must work closer together ... and pay
\nfull attention to the views of the House of Representatives.\"<\/p>\n
Bambang, the former chief of sociopolitical affairs at the
\nArmed Forces, said lack of cooperation between ministers, and
\nbetween ministers and directorate generals were \"glaring\" last
\nyear.<\/p>\n
He declined to elaborate. \"Our main reference is the press.
\nDon't ask what is already obvious,\" he said.<\/p>\n
\"All government and public leaders must keep in mind that
\npower is delegated from the people,\" the statement said<\/p>\n
Bambang confirmed this includes President Soeharto, \"But we
\ndon't know if that message will get to him,\" he said.<\/p>\n
YKPK was founded in November bringing together more than 70
\nindividual statesmen and leaders of a number of organizations.
\nIts members include well-known names such as Marzuki Darusman,
\nSoetandio Wignjosubroto, Kharis Suhud, R. Soeprapto, Mochtar
\nBuchori, Matori Abdul Jalil and Christianto Wibisono.<\/p>\n
It is one of the few organizations regarded as credible, at
\nleast in terms of membership, among the groups that were set up
\nlast year, all claiming to defend the nation against the
\npressures of disintegration.<\/p>\n
It is also one of the few that has strong connections and
\nsupport from members of the government, including Minister of
\nDefense and Security Edi Sudradjat and Coordinating Minister of
\nPolitical Affairs and Security Soesilo Soedarman.<\/p>\n
Bambang yesterday also announced YKPK's plan to hold a seminar
\nentitled \"Indonesia's Journey to Nationhood, Achievements and
\nChallenges\" in Surabaya, East Java, on Monday and Tuesday.<\/p>\n
According to the program distributed yesterday, the seminar's
\nkeynote speaker will be Wahono, the speaker of the House of
\nRepresentatives. No government official will address the
\ndiscussion but the program also cited a number of noted public
\nfigures including Abdurrahman Wahid, Afan Gaffar, Kwik Kian Gie,
\nMari Pangestu, Rizal Ramli, Dawam Rahardjo, Fuad Hassan and Umar
\nKayam.<\/p>\n
YKPK's hopes also centered on the 1997 elections, saying that
\nthe event \"should make the people happy and spirited, without the
\nneed to disturb our harmony ... despite our differences.\"<\/p>\n
All civilian and military officials \"will act justly and
\nsensitively toward all contestants at every stage of the
\nelections,\" it said.<\/p>\n
YKPK said the election should be turned into a \"healthy,
\nfriendly and educational political communication\" for the
\ncountry.<\/p>\n
On the justice system, YKPK said \"the public's feeling of
\njustice will be deeply disturbed\" if the courts of law, all the
\nway to the Supreme Court, do not follow the principle of equality
\nbefore the law. (anr)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/govt-must-show-greater-unity-ykpk-says-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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