Megawati renews call to combat graft, uphold law<\/p>\n
Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
President Megawati Soekarnoputri on Sunday reiterated calls for
\nthe country to fight against corruption, collusion and nepotism
\nthat had tarnished the country's image.<\/p>\n
Speaking in front of tens of thousands of Indonesian
\nDemocratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) supporters in
\nSemarang, Central Java, Megawati expressed concern over the fact
\nthat Indonesia was classified as one of the most corrupt
\ncountries in the world.<\/p>\n
\"Whether the survey is valid or not, still the report concerns
\nme and makes me sick,\" Megawati said during the celebration of
\nthe 29th anniversary of the largest party in the country.<\/p>\n
The president, who is also the chairwoman of the party,
\nunderlined the importance of all Indonesians joining hands and
\nfighting against such practices.<\/p>\n
She also said that it was important to uphold the law when
\nfighting corruption.<\/p>\n
\"We have to end the (corrupt) condition and uphold the law,\"
\nthe President was quoted by Antara as saying.<\/p>\n
According to the latest survey from Political and Economic
\nRisk Consultancy (PERC), Indonesia is the most corrupt country in
\nAsia. In the scale of one to 10 with 10 being the worst,
\nIndonesia scored 9.92.<\/p>\n
The latest developments in the country seem to verify the
\nsurvey with House of Representative Speaker Akbar Tandjung being
\ndetained and Central Bank Governor Sjahril Sabirin being
\nsentenced to a three-year jail term, both for involvement in
\ngraft cases.<\/p>\n
However, it was not immediately clear whether Megawati's
\nremarks represented the party's stance on the planned
\nestablishment of a House special committee to probe the Akbar
\ncase, scheduled to be decided on Monday.<\/p>\n
Should such a reluctance represent the party's stance then
\nmost likely the party will not support the establishment of this
\nspecial committee as Akbar is ready to be brought before the
\ncourts.<\/p>\n
Megawati is currently in a dilemma where on the one hand she
\nis fed up with the corruption practices, but on the other hand,
\nshe would lose the support from Golkar, the second largest party
\nled by Akbar, if her party supported the establishment of the
\nspecial inquiry committee.<\/p>\n
During Sunday's celebrations Megawati also expressed concern
\nover the alleged involvement of some of her party's cadres in
\nmoney politics, especially in the election process of governors
\nor regents across the country.<\/p>\n
\"Many of the party's cadres in the executive and legislative
\nbodies have tarnished the party's image as they have been
\ninvolved in money politics, during the election process of
\ngovernors and regents,\" Megawati said.<\/p>\n
To handle the rising problems, Megawati said that she had
\nordered the party's leaders to hold routine meetings to discuss
\nthe issue.<\/p>\n
At the celebration Megawati was accompanied by her husband
\nTaufik Kiemas, PDI Perjuangan's secretary general Soetjipto and
\ndeputy secretary general Pramono Anung Wibowo.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/megawati-renews-call-to-combat-graft-uphold-law-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}