Power sharing<\/p>\n
From Republika<\/p>\n
In the recent Annual Session of the People's Consultative
\nAssembly, President Abdurrahman Wahid, or Gus Dur, has shown how
\nclever he is in forming his power-sharing and compromising
\npolicy. It is feared that his policy will sacrifice the existing
\nstate system. We will soon enter the era of horse trading, i.e.
\nthe second version of a new configuration with the old machine
\nand method.<\/p>\n
Abdurrahman has succeeded in persuading the Indonesian
\nDemocratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) and Megawati to
\ncompromise with a new configuration: Abdurrahman to be head of
\nstate and Megawati head of administration. But Abdurrahman
\nremains the supreme leader since the presidential Cabinet system
\nrequires that the president is maintained as the foremost
\nresponsible person under Indonesia's Constitution.<\/p>\n
Two things are very hazardous to Abdurrahman's trap. First,
\nhis intense determination to remain in power has forced the state
\nsystem to be \"translated\" under a momentary interest, i.e. to
\naccommodate Abdurrahman's incapability by sacrificing the
\nprevailing system. If this kind of solution is made a tradition,
\nthis nation will repeat Soeharto's way of interpreting the
\nConstitution in line with his interests, enabling the president
\nto create a more operational legal apparatus for backing his
\ninterests, for instance by producing laws, presidential decrees,
\nministerial decrees and the like.<\/p>\n
Second, the Assembly has again become Abdurrahman's plaything.
\nSo the Assembly needs to think hard and respond to this problem
\nmore firmly in compliance with the people's message entrusted to
\nit. This letter serves as a reminder to Amien Rais not to get re-
\ntrapped by Gus Dur's \"trick\" regarding power sharing by making
\nAmien Rais take part in the administration's disorderliness
\nbecause of the \"seats\" allocated to his group in the Cabinet.<\/p>\n
The maneuver is something that hinders Amien Rais' role and
\nthe Assembly members from controlling the government, something
\nwhich doesn't differ from the New Order's concept where the
\nAssembly was reduced to a \"rubber stamp\" of executive power by
\nSoeharto. Amien Rais has betrayed the system. The Assembly which
\nshould have been on the side of the people and not on the
\ngovernment's, is an institution which has turned noneducative in
\npeople's eyes. People can't differ the Assembly in the New Order
\nera from the current one chaired by Amien Rais, which could still
\neasily be made a fool by Abdurrahman.<\/p>\n
JUSTIANI<\/p>\n
Jakarta<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/power-sharing-1447899208", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }