Soeharto's accountability speech accepted<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Another resounding approval for President
\nSoeharto's statesmanship was voiced yesterday by the People's
\nConsultative Assembly when it approved his account of his
\nleadership of the country for the past five years.<\/p>\n
The decision to accept the account was reached, however, after
\ninitial discontent from the minority factions -- the United
\nDevelopment Party (PPP) and Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) --
\nover what they saw as a lack of political and bureaucratic
\nreforms.<\/p>\n
Ida Bagus Oka, who heads Assembly Commission C in charge of
\nstudying the presidential accountability speech, said that all of
\nthe five factions completely accepted Soeharto's report on his
\nadministration delivered on the opening day of the Assembly's
\nfive-yearly congress on March 1.<\/p>\n
The approval was adopted as an Assembly decree in a plenary
\nsession last night.<\/p>\n
The decree, one of four rulings passed by the Assembly
\nyesterday, says: \"Indonesian people praise God for the wise
\nleadership and statesmanship of Grand Gen. (ret) Soeharto... to
\nsafeguard, enforce and implement the state ideology Pancasila and
\nthe 1945 Constitution in their purity.\"<\/p>\n
It recognizes the success of Soeharto, who has been in power
\nsince 1966, in improving people's welfare, developing educated
\nand economically equal people, and expanding Indonesia's role in
\nthe international community.<\/p>\n
\"(Therefore) Indonesian people with all their heart have
\nexpressed their wish to have Grand Gen. (ret) Soeharto elected as
\nthe president for the 1998\/2003 term,\" it says.<\/p>\n
Oka, who is also governor of Bali, said that despite their
\nendorsement, the five factions demanded continuation of poverty
\nalleviation programs and improvement of the country's political
\nculture and legal system.<\/p>\n
The factions also urged the government to promote social
\nsolidarity among people, without having to rely on charity
\nprograms, according to Oka.<\/p>\n
But while the four factions said they \"fully or totally
\napprove\" the speech, PPP said it \"can approve\" it.<\/p>\n
PPP broke the long-held convention of uniform opinion last
\nWednesday when it delayed accepting Soeharto's accountability
\neven though the other factions gave him two thumbs up and made an
\nearly announcement of their renomination of the 76-year-old
\npresident.<\/p>\n
The Moslem-based PPP faction unveiled yesterday seven points
\nof economic and political reforms to be entrusted to the next
\nadministration, including prompt settlement of the monetary
\ncrisis now blighting the country and consistent efforts to combat
\ncorruption, collusion and monopolies.<\/p>\n
Regarding political reform, PPP wanted the government to
\nconsider revoking the controversial political laws passed in
\n1985.<\/p>\n
PDI shared its fellow minority faction's view on political
\nimprovement, saying that such reform would help the country
\nemerge from economic adversity.<\/p>\n
It also said that a possible unemployment explosion as a
\nresult of the protracted crisis would serve as the toughest
\nchallenge for the next government. (imn\/amd)<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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