Moslem youth organizations call for accountable cabinet<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Three Moslem youth organizations issued
\nyesterday a joint declaration calling on the President to
\nestablish a morally accountable cabinet which can help the
\ncountry out of its economic crux.<\/p>\n
Dubbed the Al-Azhar Declaration, the nine-point statement
\nstressed the importance of a clean government free of collusive
\npractices.<\/p>\n
The groups -- the Association of Islamic Students (HMI),
\nIndonesian Islamic Youth (PII) and the Indonesian Muslim Youth
\nMovement (GPII) -- urged the President not to assign
\nunprofessional and morally handicapped ministers or top
\ngovernment officials.<\/p>\n
They also urged the President to take the bold step of making
\npublic the list of tycoons who have bad debts, as well as those
\nsuspected of capital flight.<\/p>\n
The need for an antimonopoly law to be established by the
\ngovernment was also mentioned.<\/p>\n
\"The declaration, for us, is a reflection of our sense of
\nbelonging and concern, which motivates us to give a critical
\nresponse and opinions of a political dimension on the current
\nsituation,\" HMI chairman Anas Urbaningrum said at the famous Al-
\nAzhar Mosque in South Jakarta yesterday.<\/p>\n
The declaration charged that most of the nation's wealth was
\nonly being enjoyed by a few who have close ties to the power
\nelite.<\/p>\n
\"Such dissatisfaction creates various negative expressions in
\nthe community which in turn lead to violent actions of anarchical
\ntendency,\" the declaration read.<\/p>\n
The strong desire for political and economic reform is also
\nevident in a recent poll conducted by the Voice of Concerned
\nProfessionals, which polled middle-class professionals between
\nthe ages of 20 and 45 in Greater Jakarta.<\/p>\n
A staggering 98.25 percent of those polled agreed with the
\nneed for economic and sociopolitical reform to deal with the
\ncrisis.<\/p>\n
Nearly 60 percent of respondents said the kind of economic
\nreform needed was greater equality in economic opportunity and
\nthe enactment of an antitrust law.<\/p>\n
On the sociopolitical side, 38 percent of respondents said
\ncessation of corruption, collusion and nepotistic practices was
\nthe most urgent need, while 26.5 percent said it was reform in
\nthe legal system.<\/p>\n
A noticeable 14.4 percent said there was a need to limit
\npresidential terms to just two terms.<\/p>\n
The 572 professionals in the survey are defined as individuals
\ninvolved in work which require some form of specialized skill
\nbased upon a certain level of education.<\/p>\n
More than 80 percent of those surveyed had at least a
\nbachelors degree. Nearly two-thirds of the respondents worked in
\neither the banking or finance industry. (swa\/mds)<\/p>",
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