Mega must lead anticorruption drive: Critics<\/p>\n
Moch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
President Megawati Soekarnoputri must declare a nation-wide war
\non corruption if she wants to eradicate rampant corruption in the
\ncountry.<\/p>\n
Albert Hasibuan of the Movement of People Concerned About
\nState Finances (Gempita) said on Thursday this approach was
\nneeded to take over ineffective efforts by law enforcers in
\ncombating corruption.<\/p>\n
\"Megawati should be ashamed that her country still ranks among
\nthe world's most corrupt nations. She must publicly declare war
\nagainst corruption, and lead the movement to combat it,\" Albert
\ntold The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
He was asked to comment on the annual report by Transparency
\nInternational published on Wednesday which ranked Indonesia among
\nthe most corrupt nations together with Bangladesh, Nigeria,
\nParaguay, Angola, Kenya, Azerbaijan, and Uganda.<\/p>\n
Albert said Megawati should start by curbing corrupt practices
\namong her family members and relatives.<\/p>\n
\"She must also ask the Attorney General's Office, the police,
\nand other important institutions to regularly report to her the
\nprogress of anticorruption measures,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Separately, Teten Masduki of Indonesian Corruption Watch (ICW)
\nsaid Megawati should have a strong political commitment to combat
\ncorruption, otherwise it would remain endemic.<\/p>\n
According to him, Megawati should first replace Attorney
\nGeneral M. A. Rahman for his failure to bring various corruption
\ncases to court.<\/p>\n
Megawati, who took over the national leadership in July 2001
\nafter members of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR)
\ndismissed then president Abdurrahman Wahid for incompetence, has
\nbeen accused of dragging her feet in prosecuting big-time
\ncorrupters of the New Order regime.<\/p>\n
House Speaker Akbar Tandjung, who is also Golkar chairman, is
\nthe highest public official prosecuted for corruption, but many
\nbelieve his trial was the result of strong public pressure,
\nrather than Megawati's determination to wipe out corruption.<\/p>\n
Teten said Megawati and Chief Justice Bagir Manan had to work
\nhand-in-hand in eliminating court mafias.<\/p>\n
\"We are fed up with law enforcement here. We have tried to
\npropose many cases against corruption for three years but to no
\navail as corruption in the law enforcement institutions is also
\nrampant,\" Teten said.<\/p>\n
According to Albert, the present anticorruption measures
\nthrough institutions like the Attorney General's Office, the
\npolice, and the courts, did not work as their officials were also
\ncorrupt.<\/p>\n
Many believe corruption has become endemic.<\/p>\n
Although opposition to corruption triggered the fall of former
\npresident Soeharto in 1998 and its eradication has become the
\nmain reform agenda, corrupt practices are still rampant in the
\ncountry.<\/p>\n
An anticorruption law -- Law No. 31\/1999 on the eradication of
\ncorruption -- was endorsed three years ago, but has seemingly
\nbeen ineffective in curbing corruption.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/mega-must-lead-anticorruption-drive-critics-1447893297",
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