INFID calls for peaceful political change<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The International NGO Forum on Indonesian
\nDevelopment (INFID) called on the nation yesterday to join in
\nefforts to peacefully and constitutionally prepare for immediate
\npolitical change.<\/p>\n
In a statement signed by its Jakarta-based executive secretary
\nAsmara Nababan and its The Hague-based executive secretary Eva
\nPhillips, the forum also called on the government and military to
\nrefrain from applying repressive measures against pro-democracy
\ngroups who initiate such efforts.<\/p>\n
\"We are deeply concerned about the ongoing economic turmoil in
\nIndonesia which many fear may lead to political turmoil.<\/p>\n
\"We believe that the crisis of confidence in Indonesia's
\nleadership has become so acute that efforts to stabilize the
\nrupiah without simultaneous steps toward political reform will be
\nineffective,\" the statement read.<\/p>\n
INFID is a forum of more than 100 Indonesian and non-
\nIndonesian NGOs concerned with the country's development. Its
\nstatement came amid the economic crisis which has been affecting
\nthe country for months.<\/p>\n
In the statement made available to The Jakarta Post here
\nyesterday, the forum also urged the International Monetary Fund
\n(IMF) and the government to \"immediately release the full terms
\nand conditions\" of the agreement between them.<\/p>\n
The statement also said there was a need to \"establish a
\nsocial impact assessment team, including representation from
\nleading Indonesian NGOs to monitor the impact of the reform
\npackage on the country's most vulnerable groups\".<\/p>\n
The forum also called on the Consultative Group on Indonesia
\n(CGI), a group of developed countries annually donating to the
\ncountry's development, to use their leverage to ensure the
\nIndonesian government performs both economic and political
\nreform.<\/p>\n
\"Economic reform without political reform will be insufficient
\nto stem the loss of international confidence in Indonesia,\" it
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
The call for a new president and a new government has been
\ngrowing since last week with political experts and senior
\npoliticians beginning to voice the aspiration long considered
\ntaboo in the country.<\/p>\n
In Yogyakarta yesterday, Professor Harun Alrasyid of the
\nUniversity of Indonesia called for a reformation of the country's
\n1945 Constitution, saying that it has left the nation with \"an
\nabnormal\" mechanism on presidential election.<\/p>\n
\"The current mechanism gives too short a time-span between the
\nnomination, election, and endorsement of the president and vice
\npresident.<\/p>\n
\"How can people judge the persons nominated to be their
\nleaders under the current mechanism?\" he said in a book
\ndiscussion held by Gadjah Mada University's Faculty of Social and
\nPolitical Science.<\/p>\n
Harun argued that the reformation of the country's 1945
\nConstitution was justified by Article 3 and 37 of the
\nconstitution. (23\/44\/aan)<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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