Indonesian Axis aiming at middle classes: Eros<\/p>\n
The following is an excerpt of an interview with Eros Djarot,
\na member of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI
\nPerjuangan) and a founder of the new Indonesian Axis (Poros
\nIndonesia) group:<\/p>\n
Question: What do you think about the changes in Indonesia?<\/p>\n
Answer: The current situation needs wise, mature and directed
\nleadership. We don't have any platforms for politics, economics,
\nsocial or cultural views, which can serve as a kind of guidance
\nto the public.<\/p>\n
Judicial reform has also been idle. Everything seems idle and
\neveryone is just waiting. Ministers, director generals and
\ndirectors at various ministers just wait to make decisions.<\/p>\n
Q: Why?<\/p>\n
A: I think it's because President Abdurrahman Wahid (Gus Dur)
\ndoesn't have any fixed guidelines. There's a kind of
\ninconsistency and doubt. So everyone is just waiting with
\ncaution ... which is good, but the implication is that there are
\nno decisions being taken, while political and economic burdens
\nincrease. We need concrete solutions.<\/p>\n
Q: What about Gus Dur?<\/p>\n
A: I'd believe in him if he was healthy. We know he can't write
\nand read due to being half-blind. This is serious for Indonesia
\nin this situation. His style of leadership also plays a part. His
\nclerical style (he used to head a traditional Islamic boarding
\nschool or pesantren) is reactive instead of being creative, and
\nit can cause internal conflict. He should not have formed several
\ncouncils, such as the National Economic Council without having
\nclear concepts.<\/p>\n
Q: Do you think that Gus Dur contributed to the current scandals,
\nincluding the Bulog affair?<\/p>\n
A: At the very least he's responsible for the Bulog scandal, and
\nhow it happened. If the government had a check and recheck
\nsystem, it would not be possible for someone to steal like that.
\nWe have to be able to criticize Gus Dur, and we shouldn't be
\nfearful to do so just because he's a cleric.<\/p>\n
We have to respect his willingness to govern Indonesia at this
\ncritical time. His physical condition easily leads to incidents
\nlike Suwondo (the prime suspect in the Rp 35 billion-Bulog
\nscandal). Who is checking the letters to be signed by Gus Dur?
\nUnder whose oath are they assigned? But it's not about Gus Dur at
\nall; this is about our country.<\/p>\n
Q: That's why you set up Poros Indonesia?<\/p>\n
A: Yes. Poros Indonesia is for the middle classes to rebuild
\ntheir confidence and self-reliance. We really want to contribute
\nwhat we have, to do something hand-in-hand, and not just wait.<\/p>\n
The decision-makers are unable to decide -- for how much
\nlonger? What I'm worried about is what will happen when there's
\nno trust anymore in political parties. That would be dangerous
\nfor democracy.<\/p>\n
There should be someone to do something to involve the middle
\nclasses from various parties. This is a cross section of the
\nvarious parties. Let's work. We can't just wait around while the
\nproblems get more complicated.<\/p>\n
We've chosen a cultural movement -- how to understand morality
\nand responsibility. We see certain people are still competing to
\nget seats in the government and state-owned enterprises. It's so
\nmiserable. What we want to see is real programs, for instance in
\ndebt restructuring, privatization, economic growth and so on,
\nwhich can be understood by the public.<\/p>\n
Q: Why the middle classes?<\/p>\n
A: Because we don't want to burden the lower classes anymore. We
\nwant to avoid rallies, which usually lead to the poor joining in.<\/p>\n
What we're doing now is sharing among the middle class, with
\nthe results for the poor. Political parties do not have to be
\nafraid (of us) as we're not mass-oriented. We just want to help
\npeople to be proud again as Indonesians...<\/p>\n
Q: So Poros Indonesia is a non-formal organization for the middle
\nclasses...<\/p>\n
A: Well, we have a structure. Whether Poros Indonesia will be a
\npolitical party will depend on the existing political parties. If
\nthese parties are all good, why should we be a political party?<\/p>\n
The original aim was just to rebuild our confidence as
\nIndonesians and rebuild the nation. We can hear people abroad
\nputting us down, saying corruption, collusion and nepotism (KKN)
\nhave returned to Indonesia.<\/p>\n
Q: Are their any conditions for prospective members of the group?<\/p>\n
A: They must never have committed economic crimes, violated
\nhuman rights or performed criminal acts. People of various
\nbackgrounds have joined. We want to prove that we can really be
\nclean. So we are very cautious when selecting funds. At least we
\nare not saying that we are anti-KKN but also doing our own
\nversion (of the practice.)<\/p>\n
Q: Are you sure that is possible?<\/p>\n
A: If I wasn't I wouldn't be doing anything.<\/p>\n
Q: Are you sure that Poros Indonesia can be useful?<\/p>\n
A: It's so difficult now to be an Indonesian. I asked people from
\nvarious parties (who have joined the group) to set aside their
\nattributes and symbols. Just be Indonesians and stop criticizing
\nwithout seeking solutions.<\/p>\n
We have a lot of potential people from many fields: several
\npolitical parties, academia, cultural groups and the capital
\nmarket, as well as members of the House of Representatives.<\/p>\n
I believe in morality and intellectualism, so I prefer a few
\nmembers who are solid (in their commitment). Poros Indonesia is
\nfor solidarity and open to anyone who does not want to blame
\nothers...<\/p>\n
Q: You mentioned funding. Are you ready for transparency?<\/p>\n
A: We must be... We have declined some funds from unclear
\nsources. We want to do everything easily and not make problems.
\n(I. Christianto)<\/p>",
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