Universities move to put reform back on course<\/p>\n
Sri Wahyuni, The Jakarta Post, Yogyakarta<\/p>\n
University communities throughout the country, particularly those
\nin Java, have committed themselves to a nationwide \"moral
\npressure movement\" aimed at helping put the country's reform
\nagenda back on track, says Gadjah Mada University (UGM) rector
\nSofian Effendi.<\/p>\n
\"We have agreed to meet by the end of this month, or
\nthe beginning of next month at the latest, to set up a
\nnational steering committee (for the movement),\" he told
\njournalists on Saturday after officially closing a three-day
\nseminar on reform in Yogyakarta.<\/p>\n
Sofian said the committee would comprise representatives from
\nall the universities nationwide.<\/p>\n
The meeting is scheduled to prepare an agenda of activities
\nthat universities will partake in ahead of the 2004 general
\nelections, based on the conclusions of the seminar, he added.<\/p>\n
The seminar, which began on Thursday, recommended that
\nuniversities should play a more significant role in the national
\nreform movement, which many say has not been effective as
\nevidenced by increased corruption, human rights abuses and other
\ncases of extreme violence.<\/p>\n
\"We have all agreed that universities are the only
\ninstitutions that have the moral authority to push for the right
\nkinds of change,\" Sofian said.<\/p>\n
He said that with a national movement, the universities would
\nprovide and disseminate proper information to voters which
\noutline the necessary criteria for the country's next
\nadministration, so citizens would not be duped into voting for
\nanti-reformists in next year's elections.<\/p>\n
Sofian felt quite strongly that the universities could serve
\nas a strong moral force to put the nation's reform movement back
\non course in a peaceful, constitutional manner.<\/p>\n
The seminar, hosted by UGM to help Indonesia reformulate the
\ngoals of the reform movement and put it back on track, ended with
\nsome recommendations to resolve the various crises the country
\nwas facing.<\/p>\n
The recommendations included the need for revisions of the
\namended 1945 Constitution by involving public participation, so
\nas to be more representative and comprehensive.<\/p>\n
The highly respected participants at the seminar also
\nconcluded that there was a need for the country to produce clean,
\nintelligent and strong leaders capable of creating mutual trust
\nas social capital.<\/p>\n
It was also suggested that a collective leadership would be
\nbetter for crisis-ridden Indonesia under the current condition.<\/p>\n
Djamaluddin Ancok of the UGM's School of Psychology, which
\nchaired a session to draft the recommendations, highlighted the
\nneed to make the seminar's results an \"anticipatory concept\" in
\ncase the outcome of the upcoming elections failed to satisfy the
\nnation.<\/p>\n
\"We have agreed that the electoral process should be carried
\nout according to the Constitution. But should there be something
\nwrong with it, we are ready to come up with a concept of
\ncollective leadership as an alternative for the country,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Sofian further said that the country, home to some 212 million
\npeople, was immersed in an emergency situation, for which it is
\nin a dire need of a proper solution to its complicated problems.<\/p>\n
An opportunity for such a solution would be available to the
\ncitizenry in the 2004 elections, he added.<\/p>\n
However, he said that as the election was just a few months
\naway, cooperation was most urgent among all community members to
\nmake the 2004 polls a success and elect a capable, responsible
\nadministration.<\/p>\n
Calls for a revolution to mend the country's chaotic
\nconditions also surfaced in the three-day seminar. But Sofian
\nsaid that he personally saw the idea would be ineffective due to
\nits unpredictable risks.<\/p>\n
\"A revolution would indeed create change quickly, but it's too
\nunpredictable. We can have a revolution but the person who will
\ntake over power could be worse than those of the present time. We
\ndon't want such a risk,\" he said.<\/p>",
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