Observers question govt's anticorruption commitment<\/p>\n
YOGYAKARTA (JP): Political observers here have questioned
\nPresident Abdurrahman Wahid's commitment to eradicating
\ncorruption, alleging that the majority of his Cabinet lineup
\ninclude individuals involved in graft practices during the New
\nOrder era.<\/p>\n
Speaking at a seminar on corruption here on Tuesday, political
\nscientist Cornelius Lay charged that Abdurrahman, better known as
\nGus Dur, lacked the political commitment to truly resolve the
\ncorruption issue.<\/p>\n
"I am disappointed in Gus Dur's government, which has made no
\neffort in cleaning up the Cabinet from the New Order. If he
\nreally wanted to clean up the government then only 1 percent of
\nministers would be left as free of the corrupt New Order," he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Cornelius declined to identify Cabinet ministers who he
\nalleged had tainted pasts.<\/p>\n
"The government does not have strong political will. The
\nPresident even refuses to replace those people who were clearly
\nconnected to the New Order," the noted Gadjah Mada University
\npolitical scientist said.<\/p>\n
He warned that the problem of corruption in the country had
\nreached chronic levels, saying its eradication would not depend
\non law enforcement alone, but also needed political commitment
\nand action from the top.<\/p>\n
Cornelius said it was appropriate to implement the subversion
\nlaw for corruptors because corruption was far more destructive
\ncompared to separatist movements and armed activities.<\/p>\n
"A public movement, especially student demonstrations, is
\nstill an effective means to eradicate corruption," he added.<\/p>\n
Speaking at the same seminar, director of the Indonesian
\nInstitute of Legal Aid Foundation Bambang Widjojanto urged the
\nestablishment of Law No. 31\/1999 on Anticorruption.<\/p>\n
However he also expressed a degree of skepticism as to how the
\nlaw could be successfully implemented.<\/p>\n
Despite his misgivings, he described the law's enactment as a
\nprogressive development in the anticorruption drive.<\/p>\n
Bambang said one of the commendable aspects of the new law was
\nthat it not only defined corruption as actions which were
\ndetrimental and caused material losses to the state, but also to
\nthe general public.<\/p>\n
He said that it followed that incompetent acts, such as
\ncreating a high-cost economy, could also be prosecuted as acts of
\ncorruption. He said that even though such activities did not
\ndirectly effect the state, they caused direct losses to the
\npublic, in this case the business community. (44\/02)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/observers-question-govts-anticorruption-commitment-1447893297",
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