Calls mount for President to lead Bali inquiry

Calls mount for President to lead Bali inquiry

Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Amid growing pressure from the international community for a
quick investigation into the Bali bombing, calls are mounting for
President Megawati Soekarnoputri to take the lead in explaining
the direction and target of government policies on the incident.

Analysts say that the President should act clearly and
decisively to investigate the bombing and bring those responsible
to justice.

"The President cannot remain silent. Explanations put forth
by the ministers are not enough," said Dewi Fortuna Anwar from
the Center for Information and Development Studies (CIDES) here
on Monday.

Dewi suggested that the President should talk to the public on
what policies are currently being implemented by her
administration.

Megawati should also explain why and how these policies will
assist the investigation into the bombing, she added.

Fellow analyst Fachry Ali said that the President should be
forthcoming in explaining measures taken by the government in
response to the bombing and its aftermath.

Both Dewi and Fachry consider Megawati to be indecisive and
tardy in dealing with the bombing.

They suggested that the President should take last week's
bombing, which killed more than 180 people, as an opportunity to
garner sympathy at home and support from the international
community.

The bomb explosions rocked Legian, Bali, on Saturday Oct. 12
just before midnight and President Megawati sent her condolences
to relatives of the victims on Sunday afternoon.

After a news conference, Megawati and Cabinet ministers left
for Bali to get a closer look at the explosion site.

The government has issued regulations on antiterrorism, giving
the authorities wide-ranging powers to question, arrest and
charge suspected terrorists.

Fachry, who chairs the Institute of Business Ethics
Development and Studies (LSPEU), said he saw Megawati's role in
the issuance of the antiterrorism regulations as minimal.

"In this case, the role of the President is determined by her
ministers. She (Megawati) only receives explanations from them,"
he said.

Fachry added that unclear explanations from the government
could lead to uncontrolled speculation, which may have a negative
impact on the situation.

Responding to the political stance taken by the Indonesian
government regarding international diplomacy, Fachry suggested
that Indonesian leaders should alter the country's foreign
policy, especially on terrorism issues.

"It's true that the concept of terrorism is debatable, but the
government should have adjusted its foreign policy to the world
after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on New York and Washington
D.C.," he said.

Fachry noted that the Indonesian government did not understand
significant changes in U.S. foreign policy.

He said that the U.S. was no longer the staunch defender of
human rights and democracy. And the U.S., he added, had
pragmatically fought for the sake of its own national interests,
overthrowing the leadership of countries branded as enemies.

"President Megawati should make adjustments and use this
momentum to gain financial aid for economic recovery," Fachry
added.