Megawati set to deliver progress report<\/p>\n
Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
President Megawati Soekarnoputri is set to deliver her progress
\nreport on her first year in power before members of the People's
\nConsultative Assembly (MPR) on the initial day of the Annual
\nSession on Thursday, a report said.<\/p>\n
The less-than-50-page report will cover not only all aspects
\nof government, but also act as a statement of the President
\nregarding the course of the country.<\/p>\n
The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan)
\nfaction chairman at the Assembly, Arifin Panigoro, said after
\nattending the party's executive board plenary meeting with
\nPresident Megawati, who is also party leader, that the report was
\nconsidered her political speech.<\/p>\n
\"The President will emphasize the process for the future of
\nthe country. The speech will not only contain her progress report
\nbut also function as her political speech,\" Arifin told
\nreporters.<\/p>\n
Megawati met three times with her Cabinet ministers to discuss
\nthe draft for her speech and on Wednesday night met the three
\ncoordinating ministers and State\/Cabinet Secretary Bambang Kesowo
\nto finalize the draft.<\/p>\n
However, Vice President Hamzah Haz did not attend the three
\nmeetings.<\/p>\n
Analysts suspected that his absence was a sign of an
\nincreasing rift between Hamzah and Megawati, as they come from
\nideologically different political parties.<\/p>\n
When asked about his absence at the meetings, Hamzah said on
\nWednesday: \"I gave input for the (progress) report. I did not
\nattend the meetings because of other duties.\"<\/p>\n
He further underlined that he was invited by the President to
\nattend the preparation meetings on the progress report.<\/p>\n
\"But it was not on my agenda to attend those meetings as I had
\ndifferent duties to attend to,\" the Vice President said.<\/p>\n
State Minister of Cooperatives, Small and Medium Enterprises
\nAlimarwan Hanan, who is a confidante of Hamzah, played down
\nspeculation of strained relations between Megawati and Hamzah,
\nsaying a rift did not exist.<\/p>\n
\"Pak Hamzah has already given his input for the report and it
\nwas not a big deal that he did not attend the meetings,\"
\nAlimarwan said.<\/p>\n
Last year, during the Assembly Annual Session, Hamzah attended
\nall the meetings on the progress report.<\/p>\n
Earlier, Minister of Home Affairs Hari Sabarno said the report
\nwould reveal problems that arose after the implementation of
\nregional autonomy and that the government would ask the Assembly
\nto once again determine the direction of regional autonomy.<\/p>\n
Coordinating Minister for Social Welfare Jusuf Kalla said the
\nPresident was also slated to address security problems in
\ntroubled regions, such as in Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam, Maluku and
\nPapua, including the government's latest policies in dealing with
\nthe conflicts.<\/p>\n
On the economic field, the President will likely present her
\nadministration's achievements in maintaining a stable rupiah and
\nimproving the economy during her initial year in power.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/megawati-set-to-deliver-progress-report-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}