Clean cabinet campaign gains momentum
JAKARTA (JP): The push for cleaner government stepped up a gear yesterday, as People's Consultative Assembly legislators and observers debated whether would-be cabinet ministers should declare their personal wealth.
United Development Party (PPP) spokesman Endin A.J. Soefihara told an Assembly plenary session that all top state officials, including ministers, should be subject to auditing procedures before taking up their posts.
"They should be obliged to submit reports on their personal assets as well as those of their families... This is just the beginning of our efforts to establish a clean and strong government," he said.
He suggested a special body be set up to examine the reports and be given authority to take action in the event of irregularities.
PPP has demanded the Assembly establish a separate decree on a clean government, but its call has gone unheeded.
The motion was annulled in the Assembly's preliminary session in January after opposition from the dominant Golkar faction and its allies, the Armed Forces (ABRI) and regional representatives factions.
Golkar maintains that consistent law enforcement would be a more suitable means to combat corruption and collusion.
Political observer Arbi Sanit supported the PPP view, saying that in times of crisis the nation badly needed honest leaders.
"Cabinet ministers must be people who never act corruptly. If necessary, the Supreme Audit Agency should regularly scrutinize ministers' estates," said Arbi of the University of Indonesia.
Legal expert Muladi concurred with the idea but said the establishment of a special body to monitor the acquisition of wealth was a bit exaggerated.
"We already have enough laws and regulations aimed at ensuring a clean government. The most important thing now is how to consistently enact the laws," said the rector of the Semarang- based Diponegoro University.
Outgoing State Minister of Administrative Reforms T.B. Silalahi refused to comment on the issue, but predicted that efforts to set up a clean government would gradually bear fruit.
"I'd rather talk about integrated measures, instead of going into details," Silalahi said.
The chairman of the Armed Forces (ABRI) House of Representatives faction, Lt. Gen. Hari Sabarno, was against the idea of publicly disclosing officials' personal wealth.
"It's unethical (to announce the personal wealth of government officials) and it would infringe on their basic rights," he said.
Instead he suggested an improvement in internal mechanisms including heavy punishments to deter corruptive practices.
"The Supreme Audit Agency, the Development Finance Comptroller and the inspectorate generals should intensively conduct investigations," Hari said.
Golkar legislator and outgoing Minister of Information R. Hartono agreed with Hari, claiming that a declaration of personal wealth was unethical and went against religious teachings.
Another outgoing minister, Sarwono Kusumaatmadja, was not explicit in his support for the idea but pointed out that the next cabinet ministers should comprise not only professionals but also honest individuals in order to restore public confidence in the government.
"The new cabinet must first of all consist of credible persons," the state minister of environment said.
The deputy governor of the National Resilience Institute, Juwono Sudarsono, also remarked that it was essential that the next cabinet curb "waste" in the state budget.
"Therefore, coordination among the ministers will become more crucial to improve efficiency in all sectors." he said, adding that the economic crisis Indonesia was now facing had taught the government a harsh lesson on the need to boost efficiency.
Siti Hediati Prabowo, one of President Soeharto's daughters, said that the new ministers should be cooperative and loyal to the president. She, however, refused to comment on corruption, collusion or nepotism. (byg/das/imn/amd/swa)