MPR's misplaced priority<\/p>\n
The scuffles that broke out at the opening session of the
\nPeople's Consultative Assembly (MPR) annual gathering on Thursday
\nwere symptomatic of the shortsightedness of the majority of the
\n700 members of the Assembly. As much as we sympathize with the
\nregional representatives in wanting their own faction in the MPR,
\nin imposing their will on the assembly by force they have
\nbesmirched the honor of the highest institution of state.<\/p>\n
Their timing was even worse. But then, the other MPR members,
\nincluding its leadership, in delaying their decision on the
\nformation of the new faction, are not that different. Looking at
\nthe agenda of the MPR meeting, including the documents that will
\nbe debated and endorsed, the MPR has clearly lost its sense of
\nnational priority. Instead, almost all MPR factions are more
\nconcerned about how they individually or their party will fare in
\nthe 2004 general elections. In short, they are only concerned
\nabout their own power and position.<\/p>\n
The document on the third series of constitutional amendments,
\nparticularly on the proposal to switch to a direct presidential
\nelection system, illustrates this point best. While there is a
\nconsensus on using the direct system, factions differ on method.
\nEach is promoting a system that benefits its own party, rather
\nthan on a system they think the most appropriate for the nation.<\/p>\n
One thing we can say about these politicians is that they are
\nconsistent in their obsession with 2004. This is making a mockery
\nof the proposal at the MPR meeting to draw up a new vision for
\nthe future of Indonesia, to be called \"Vision 2020\". Perhaps
\n\"Vision 2004\" is more likely to be in the back of their minds.<\/p>\n
But even in their obsession with the next election, they seem
\nto have forgotten about the more pressing and immediate problems
\nfacing Indonesia today: How to stop the current drift toward
\ndisintegration and how to save the nation from bankruptcy.<\/p>\n
These problems have become all too real now, and our political
\nleaders are aware of them. President Megawati Soekarnoputri
\ntouched on these dangers on two occasions early this week, and
\nagain in her speech to the MPR on Thursday. But to our political
\nleaders, it is one thing to recognize and admit that the nation
\nfaces grave problems, but quite another to try and resolve them.<\/p>\n
If the MPR has any sense of national priority at all, the
\nfirst thing that it should do is to review the 1999-2004 State
\nPolicy Guidelines (GBHN), which, given the circumstances
\nIndonesia finds itself in today, seem to have lost its relevance.
\nYet, the GBHN remains the document that the MPR is using to
\nevaluate the performance of the government and the other high
\nstate institutions at the Annual Session.<\/p>\n
The political and economic landscape in Indonesia have also
\ndrastically changed in the wake of the September 11 terrorist
\nattacks on the United States. Again, almost everyone is aware of
\nthis and the need for Indonesia to come to grips with a world
\nthat has completely changed. These changes have surely made the
\nGBHN, drawn up two years ago, even less relevant today.<\/p>\n
It is clear that the most pressing national issue today is to
\nsave the nation from the brink of total collapse and breakup. As
\nimportant and pressing as the reform programs contained in the
\nGBHN may be, they must now be subordinated to saving Indonesia.<\/p>\n
We cannot think of a more appropriate forum to discuss this
\nissue than the Annual Session. After all, only the MPR can change
\nthe direction Indonesia should take through the GBHN.<\/p>\n
Unless the MPR members and factions come together and cast
\ntheir differences aside and put the national interest first,
\nthere won't be an Indonesia in one or two years' time anyway. And
\nthere won't be any 2004 elections to fret about either, let alone
\nVision 2020.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/mprs-misplaced-priority-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}