PKS vows support for SBY Cabinet<\/p>\n
Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) very likely elicited a big
\nsigh of relief from President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono as the
\nMuslim-based party reconfirmed its support for his government, at
\nleast for another year.<\/p>\n
Wrapping up its two-day meeting, the influential PKS board of
\npatrons unanimously agreed to grant Susilo a crucial vote of
\nconfidence.<\/p>\n
\"The board of patrons will not withdraw support for the
\ngovernment. PKS will not leave the United Indonesia Cabinet
\neither,\" PKS chief patron Hilmi Aminuddin announced during a
\npress conference.<\/p>\n
The good news for Susilo came just after the Golkar Party
\nannounced its position as the bedrock of political support for
\nthe one-year-old government of Susilo and Vice President Jusuf
\nKalla, who is also the Golkar leader.<\/p>\n
At least two PKS regional chapters (Yogyakarta and Jakarta)
\nhad demanded that the party leave the government due to its
\ndecision to raise fuel prices by an average 126 percent on Oct.
\n1, a policy which was narrowly approved by the party.<\/p>\n
In its eight-point statement, the PKS patrons were aware that
\nSusilo had not fully complied with the deal he inked with the
\nparty ahead of the presidential election last year.<\/p>\n
\"The implementation of the political contract over the past
\nyear has not lived up to the public's expectation, but is still
\nwithin the tolerable limit given the transitional period from a
\ndictatorial regime,\" PKS leader Tiffatul Sembiring read out from
\nthe statement.<\/p>\n
PKS lent its support to Susilo with conditions that the
\npresident would promote good governance, improve education,
\nuphold the supremacy of law and create more job opportunities.
\nSusilo won an outright majority in the presidential election
\nrunoff over the incumbent Megawati Soekarnoputri 14 months ago.<\/p>\n
After a little more than a year, Susilo's government has
\nearned praise for its fight against corruption, but drew
\ncriticism for its poor management of the economy as reflected by
\nthe soaring inflation rate and increasing unemployment numbers.<\/p>\n
Tiffatul said the party would maintain its position as \"a
\ncritical partner\" of the government and push for some change in
\nthe Cabinet, particularly the economic team.<\/p>\n
The party will pass along its performance evaluation of the
\neconomic ministers directly to the President, but it will not be
\nmade public.<\/p>\n
\"We will submit our assessment to the government directly, so
\nthat if the reshuffle in the economic team does not take place,
\nnobody will have hard feelings,\" Tiffatul said.<\/p>\n
Over the next year, the party plans to encourage the
\ngovernment, particularly PKS-affiliated ministers, to improve.<\/p>\n
In the field of law enforcement, PKS is demanding prosecution
\nof government officials and businesspeople implicated in high-
\nprofile cases, who have so far managed to elude justice. PKS also
\ndemanded that the People's Consultative Assembly maintain a 1998
\ndecree that requires legal moves against corruption cases
\ninvolving former president Soeharto.<\/p>\n
Golkar, on the other hand, recently presented an award to
\nSoeharto for his service as the party's founder. In an interview
\non RCTI television on Friday, Golkar leader Kalla hinted that the
\nparty might propose an annulment of the 1998 decree against the
\nformer dictator, who stepped down in 1998 after 32 years in
\npower.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/pks-vows-support-for-sby-cabinet-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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