Legislators warn Megawati of bumpy road ahead<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Legislators welcomed President Megawati Soekarnoputri's
\nprogress report on Thursday, delivered on the day of the People's
\nConsultative Assembly (MPR) Annual Session, but they reminded the
\ngovernment of the tough job that lies ahead.<\/p>\n
\"The speech was comprehensive and refreshing as it contained
\ndetailed facts and figures on our economic condition,\" MPR
\nspeaker Amien Rais told reporters on Thursday.<\/p>\n
\"It was comprehensive and included data on exports, imports,
\nlabor and state-owned enterprises,\" he added.<\/p>\n
However, Amien said that they were only numbers and harder
\nefforts by the government to make further improvement was needed
\nin the future.<\/p>\n
Theo L. Sambuaga of the Golkar Party said the government had
\nyet to produce concrete results during its three-month old
\ntenure. However, Theo found it understandable given the limited
\ntime the government has had.<\/p>\n
\"The President has informed us about what the government has
\ndone to deal with the situation.<\/p>\n
\"It's not much really, but what's more important is that the
\ngovernment has identified, in a comprehensive manner, what the
\nproblems are and what programs, in various sectors, have been set
\nup to tackle them,\" Theo said.<\/p>\n
Aberson Sihaloho of the Indonesian Democratic Party of
\nStruggle (PDI-P), while admitting that he had no objection to the
\nPresident's speech, also cautioned that the country's economic
\nrecovery did not rely entirely on the government.<\/p>\n
\"It's impossible for the government to get the country out of
\nthe crisis all by itself. They need help too.<\/p>\n
\"That's why we're here, so that the government and legislators
\ncan set up a formula to work together and solve the problems,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Legislators of the National Awakening Party (PKB) Ali Masjkur
\nand Yusuf Muhammad cited the report as mere rhetoric, which did
\nnot contain any real action to try to deal with the current
\nsituation.<\/p>\n
\"It's only words, but no real action has been carried out so
\nfar. Law enforcement for example, what they have done to bring
\nall those corrupt people to justice? Nothing so far,\" Yusuf
\nclaimed.<\/p>\n
A analyst, Imam Prasodjo, said the progress report contained a
\nnew subtle distinction as it showed that the new government had
\nfocussed more attention on social matters rather than political
\nones.<\/p>\n
\"The way I see it, the government's awareness of social
\naffairs is greater than on political problems. It's not what it
\nused to be,\" he told reporters.<\/p>\n
President Megawati addressed on Thursday her first
\npresidential progress report before the Assembly, the country's
\nhighest legislative body.<\/p>\n
In her speech, the President revealed that the country was now
\nfacing an even grimmer economic outlook as a result of
\nunfortunate conditions, both internal and external.<\/p>\n
The world now seems likely to be heading toward a full-blown
\nrecession as the world's major economies, the U.S. and Japan,
\nwere having a hard time propping up their own economic
\nperformance.<\/p>\n
Things then went from bad to worse with the Sept. 11 terrorist
\nattacks on the U.S.<\/p>\n
The Annual Session, slated to last until Nov. 10 and attended
\nby 549 of the 700-member Assembly, will discuss a number of draft
\nresolutions, including the amendment of the 1945 Constitution.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/legislators-warn-megawati-of-bumpy-road-ahead-1447893297",
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