Social, political changes have to be managed<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The social and political rigidity which results
\nfrom a long-term stable administration needs to be diffused, but
\nthe resulting changes have to be managed properly to prevent
\nchaos, guests on a TV chat show concluded yesterday.<\/p>\n
The panel discussion was held by the private television
\nstation SCTV to celebrate the first anniversary of the Perspektif
\nprogram. The discussion was led by the show's host, Wimar
\nWitoelar.<\/p>\n
Former finance minister Frans Seda, now a noted businessman;
\ncinematographer and editor, Eros Djarot; and journalist Bambang
\nHarimurti explored the prospects for political development in
\nIndonesia in the discussion. They were in fundamental agreement
\nabout the need for change; for the correction of flaws in the
\nexisting system.<\/p>\n
\"This (current) government is really extraordinary ... because
\nin the last fifty years (since national independence in 1945)
\nthis country has only had two presidents,\" Seda said. \"But
\nthere's a down side to this condition, which is a resistance to
\nchange.\"<\/p>\n
\"We have to advance, we have to courageously make and manage
\nchanges,\" he said, adding that a great task that lay ahead was
\nhow to manage those changes so that negative effects could be
\nlimited.<\/p>\n
Eros and Bambang said various changes were needed in society.
\nSeda's response was that the public and everyone else needed a
\nperspective with which to see the kind of changes necessary.<\/p>\n
\"The perspective is that the changes should give the
\npeople...the freedom to assemble and express ideas ...these are
\namong their human rights,\" he said. In addition, all parties must
\nstrive to establish a society which respects democracy and the
\nlaw.\"<\/p>\n
Bambang said that Indonesia had a long way to go in its
\npolitical development because of a chronic problem of
\n\"misrepresentation\" in society.<\/p>\n
This situation, which he said was the legacy of the colonial
\nadministration, was one in which minority groups colluded with
\nthe power holder to form a social elite, robbing the minority of
\ntheir rightful representation, he said.<\/p>\n
\"We need to normalize this condition, because it represents a
\ntime bomb,\" Bambang said, citing armed conflicts and bloodbaths
\nin a number of countries which, he said, were the result of
\nmisrepresentation in power.<\/p>\n
Bambang believed that Indonesia, too, was already facing
\n\"signs\" of a potential explosion of the time bomb. He believed
\nthat the key to averting that happening was to exercise self-
\nrestraint.<\/p>\n
\"The members of the majority who want to gain (their rightful
\nplace in the power representation) should not be in too great a
\nhurry,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Eros stressed the need for greater political participation for
\nthe public, accompanied by greater efforts to establish a more
\nmature \"political culture\".<\/p>\n
\"We need enlightenment, and this is the responsibility of our
\nintellectuals,\" he said. \"We can't leave the process to experts
\nonly, or the leaders of the three political groups.\"<\/p>\n
Yesterday's event also featured prominent economists
\nChristianto Wibisono, Prabowo and Hartojo Wignjowijoto, and
\nsocial experts Julia Suryakusuma and Riga Adiwoso.<\/p>\n
Christianto said that, from an economic point of view, there
\nwas no need to overhaul the system. Instead, \"we need better
\ncontrol of the allocation of resources to facilitate growth,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
He said \"misallocation\" of the available resources was the
\nmain cause of the various economic problems here. (swe)<\/p>",
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