After 2nd memorandum, what next?

After 2nd memorandum, what next?

By William Chang

PONTIANAK, West Kalimantan (JP): The recent second memorandum
of censure issued by the majority of legislators against
President Abdurrahman Wahid brings about more social political
divisions and, hence, increased uncertainty.

Meanwhile, the government has not made any significant
progress in reforming socioeconomic conditions. Some say the
situation is worsening because many officials do not know what
should be done.

West Kalimantan Governor Aspar Aswin, for instance, has
obviously appointed all his personnel from the New Order period
to key positions. New faces have had no opportunity to fill in
jobs because of the strong influence of those in the former
bureaucracy. Like an epidemic, corruption grows as rapidly as
before. One Indonesian, on her trip to Australia, had to bribe an
official at the Pontianak airport a sum of Rp 100,000 to be able
to take her valuables.

Public reaction to this "reform regime" is highly cynical
given the failure so far to reach socioeconomic and political
improvements. In the absence of meaningful control of the central
government, local officials can do whatever they want without
paying attention to civil law.

Pontianak's court is among the courts well known for allegedly
"commercializing" justice. And what is Jakarta's reaction? How
can Jakarta seek and manage effective ways to overcome such
problems in this huge country?

After the second memorandum, what next? President Abdurrahman
tried to respond to the memorandum shortly after it was issued,
but politicians said the response did not touch the core of the
problem. All Cabinet members say they entirely support
Abdurrahman's government, yet disputes among politicians
continue. What can be done in the two weeks prior to the
President's deadline to officially respond to the second
memorandum?

The inevitable question is: Who has the right to make a
political decision for the future of a country with 200 million
people? A handful of politicians? Is the House of Representatives
the only body to that can make such a decision? Is every member
really a representative of all Indonesians, from Sabang to
Merauke?

Their professionalism is in doubt because of, in the case of
many members, their poor socioeconomic and political backgrounds.
Not all legislators have sufficient experience for their posts,
let alone hold clear political orientation or political ethics;
some only seem to be making the best of their posts to improve
their earnings.

Two years after the collapse of the New Order government, the
new administration and the legislature have not shown their good
will and ability to work with each other.

These two important political instruments should play a key
role in improving people's daily lives. They have spent so much
time investigating less urgent political cases, but have
forgotten to solve big criminal cases that have inflicted great
financial losses. Some of the accused in this country can
continue to live as if in heaven, while the country's stability
is far from guaranteed.

The uncertainty has led to the slowing down of socioeconomic
activities. Local and foreign investors are reluctant to invest
without certainty of what may happen in the near future. Capital
flight has taken place since Soeharto's downfall because most
foreign investors realized the atmosphere was becoming highly
unstable. The riots in May 1998 in Jakarta and other cities
showed how problems could explode at any moment.

What will happen at the end of May does not depend on the
House alone, since not all Indonesians trust this body -- which
is displaying a tradition of unfair politicking.

Political reform should prioritize legal enforcement.
Indonesians have had enough of political disputes -- they want
real and just socioeconomic and political betterment.

Now is the time to stop conflicts, and start fighting against
high class cunning corruptors, the system inherited from the New
Order and all parties who have inflicted loss among the people.

The writer is a social and political observer in Pontianak.