High-profile cases first: Mega<\/p>\n
Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
President Megawati Soekarnoputri ordered her Cabinet members on
\nMonday, including two coordinating ministers who plan to
\nchallenge her in the presidential election, to work more
\nefficiently in settling major unresolved issues which can be used
\nby her rivals to attack her in the presidential race.<\/p>\n
As if teasing her potential rivals within the Cabinet, the
\nPresident also ordered Minister of Home Affairs Hari Sabarno to
\nimmediately issue campaign regulations for government officials,
\nrequiring them to resign from their position before campaigning.<\/p>\n
Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Gen.
\n(ret.) Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who has indicated his intention
\nto run as a presidential candidate for the newly established
\nDemocratic Party (PD), cited the problems of poor law
\nenforcement, the prolonged war in Aceh, terrorism and the
\ndivision of the Papua -- which also has an active separatist
\nmovement -- into three provinces among the top priorities.<\/p>\n
Other targets include the settlement of border issues with
\nneighboring countries, and the security of the legislative
\nelections in April, the first round of the presidential election
\nin July, and a possible second round in September.<\/p>\n
Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare Jusuf Kalla, one of
\nGolkar's presidential candidates, has been tasked with reducing
\nunemployment, eradicating poverty and reconstructing post-
\nconflict areas.<\/p>\n
"In the law enforcement field, the President specifically
\nordered that certain cases should be finished this year," Susilo
\nsaid in a joint press conference with Jusuf and Coordinating
\nMinister for the Economy, Dorodjatun Kuntjoro-jakti after
\nattending the Cabinet meeting.<\/p>\n
Susilo refused to give details about which cases. He only said
\nthat the President would announce the list sometime this month. A
\nreliable source close to Megawati however disclosed that the
\nPresident clearly pointed her finger at the Rp 1.7 trillion
\n(US$200 million) Bank BNI scam and the Rp 294 billion Bank BRI
\nscandal. The corruption cases at the publicly listed state banks
\nhave worsened the government's tarnished image.<\/p>\n
She also insisted upon bringing to justice all bad debtors who
\nare still refusing to repay their debts to the Indonesian Bank
\nRestructuring Agency (IBRA).<\/p>\n
"She did not mention any political cases and simply focused on
\nthe cases that related to her administration," the source, who
\nalso attended the meeting told ^YThe Jakarta Post^Y on the
\ncondition of anonymity.<\/p>\n
Despite the President's determination, her ability to curb
\ncorruption, however has been questionable at best, as evidenced
\nby the fact that she essentially absolved her chief law
\nenforcers, Attorney General M.A. Rachman, who was accused of
\ngraft in trying to hide assets from the government's wealth audit
\ncommission. She has done very little in eradicating corruption.
\nWhen the donors' group, the Consultative Group on Indonesia (CGI)
\nin its December meeting, criticized her poor record in enforcing
\nlaw and corruption eradication, the President simply replied that
\nthe group was just too impatient.<\/p>\n
According to Dorodjatun, the Cabinet was also ordered to
\nprepare next year's state budget, although the Cabinet itself
\nwill end its term in October when the nation will have a new
\ngovernment.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, a senior presidential staff said that the President
\nalso ordered the submission of the draft on social security
\nsystems to the House of Representatives (DPR) on Jan. 15.<\/p>\n
"She intended to have the social security system to be
\nestablished during her term as required by the People's
\nConsultative Assembly decree," the official said.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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