Megawati claims success<\/p>\n
Fabiola Desy Unidjaja and Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post,
\nJakarta<\/p>\n
President Megawati Soekarnoputri has claimed that her government
\nhas accomplished numerous achievements, and has lashed out at her
\ncritics saying their rap merely served the interests of certain
\npeople.<\/p>\n
Delivering her progress report at the People's Consultative
\nAssembly Annual Session on Friday, Megawati said her
\nadministration had managed to put the country back on track,
\ndespite occasional mishaps.<\/p>\n
"In actuality, all of our hard work was not without reward. We
\nhave managed to improve a great deal, although not completely"
\nMegawati addressed the Session.<\/p>\n
She claimed that after five years of reform, her
\nadministration had achieved economic recovery, subdued conflicts
\nacross the country and reduced the threat of separatism.<\/p>\n
"We are indeed making strides and results are forthcoming.
\nDeficiencies and mistakes persist, and we must correct them," she
\nunderlined.<\/p>\n
Megawati further admonished her critics, saying that the
\ncontinued complaints against her administration would not do any
\ngood for the improvement of the country.<\/p>\n
"In essence, such an attitude only turns us into a laughing
\nstock to other groups. Not one party stands to benefit from this
\nattitude that dampens our spirit," she said.<\/p>\n
Megawati defended herself from various criticisms and from a
\ngrowing perception that she had failed to fulfill the reform
\nagenda.<\/p>\n
Polls show that the people's confidence in her capability had
\nconstantly eroded, and that her popularity fell to even below her
\nministers'.<\/p>\n
Although the overall economic condition is improving along
\nwith relative stability, Megawati still fell short of public
\nexpectations for justice, as she has had to make compromises to
\nmaintain stability.<\/p>\n
The country is currently fighting separatism in Aceh,
\nsuffering from terrorism threats and coping with a high
\nunemployment rate. Moreover, the old practices of corruption,
\ncollusion and nepotism continue unabated, slowing down the reform
\nmovement.<\/p>\n
Aware of her own weaknesses, Megawati refused to promise a
\nmuch brighter future for the country as indicated in her lowered
\neconomic growth target of 3.66 percent, from 4 percent
\npreviously.<\/p>\n
In regards Aceh, she said that the government would stop the
\nongoing military crackdown in Aceh and reopen negotiations if the
\nFree Aceh Movement (GAM) laid down its arms.<\/p>\n
"We have repeatedly invited and urged the leaders of GAM to
\ndisarm and return to their normal lives," she said.<\/p>\n
The first day of the Annual Session proceeded smoothly, with
\nsome legislators expressing their disappointment because they
\ncould not make an interruption.<\/p>\n
Chatibul Umam Wiranu and Effendi Choirie, both from the
\nNational Awakening Party (PKB), said they had tried to interrupt
\nthe Session to express their views, but failed.<\/p>\n
"I tried to interrupt, but the microphone is off. I guess this
\nwas done intentionally," Chatibul told The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
He said legislator A.M. Fatwa of the Reform faction had also
\ntried to make an interruption. Fatwa could not be reached for
\ncomment.<\/p>\n
Chatibul said he had wanted to propose an evaluation and to
\nmake a recommendation to state institutions to create a
\ncheck-and-balance system.<\/p>\n
Choirie said that his faction insisted that the Annual Session
\nwould evaluate the performance of the President and issue
\nrecommendations to the president and state institutions.<\/p>\n
He was referring to the agreement made by Assembly leaders
\nthat the Annual Session would neither evaluate the performance of
\nthe President nor issue recommendations.<\/p>\n
Choirie stressed that the agreement of the Assembly leaders
\nwas not binding, and was less powerful than the decision of the
\nAnnual Session.<\/p>\n
Each faction is scheduled to present on Saturday their general
\nviews in response to the report of the President, the House of
\nRepresentatives (DPR), the State Audit Agency (BPK) and the
\nSupreme Court.<\/p>\n
Separately, in his opening remark Assembly Speaker Amien Rais
\nreminded participants that high on the Session's agenda were the
\nestablishment of the Constitutional Commission, the revocation of
\nAssembly decrees and the revision of the Assembly's internal
\nregulations.<\/p>\n
Amien said he hoped the Annual Session, which was planned to
\nlast 10 days, could be cut short.<\/p>",
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