A cause for concern

A cause for concern

The power that has been entrusted by the people to Gus Dur
(President Abdurrahman Wahid) has so far produced many paradoxes.
The President made every effort not to be unseated during the
recent Annual Session of the People's Consultative Assembly.
After that was achieved, though, no efforts were made indicating
that a sense of crisis exists on the part of the government. In
fact, we now have to deal with a new crisis of a more private
nature -- concerning the private affairs of a number of high
ranking officials.

Gus Dur's travel itinerary meanwhile has become even more
busy. Although denied, there was even talk of buying a special
Boeing aircraft to make the President's foreign trips still more
agreeable.

The initial demilitarization drive, meant to correct the evils
of the (Soeharto era) New Order -- either by design or otherwise
-- is being replaced by an inclination to use civilians for
militaristic ends. While under the New Order power was preserved
by the military, now civilian paramilitaries are used for the
same ends.

All those paradoxes are reflections of a fundamental
nervousness. What, for instance, can the government be proud of
when it comes to the eradication of corruption, collusion and
nepotism? Is the current regime indeed against corruption, or is
it instead flirting with corruptors and thereby opening up new
opportunities for corruption?

A government that hesitates to fight corruption is a
government that is already infected by corruption. This is a
point of common sense that is difficult to refute. And this is
what is causing us to become ever more worried.

-- Media Indonesia, Jakarta