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.