Coalition against change

Coalition against change

From Media Indonesia

The coalitions between the major political parties, in which
the Golkar Party has recently formed an alliance with the
Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) -- which is in
addition to PDI-P's earlier partnership agreements with the
United Development Party and the Prosperous Peace Party -- gives
rise to fears of status-quo domination.

The old powers that they represent will likely hamper the
(new) government if it tries to bring about fresh changes through
various policies, which is even more the case if the change to be
introduced is not in line with or even opposed to their
interests.

If the candidates they support are elected to head the
government for the 2004-2009 term, there will be greater worries
because no significant change has taken place with the PDI-P in
power these last few years, in stark contrast to our neighboring
countries, who had to face the same late 1990s economic crisis,
but have recovered completely.

Strategic state assets could continue to be sold off to
foreign companies; delinquent conglomerate bosses and public
wealth "looters" would probably remain free from legal actions,
and corruption would likely continue at its current pace among
public officials.

In the past five years, corruption grew from the value of Rp
16 trillion in 1998 to as high as around Rp 315 trillion in 2003,
and that number will likely increase too if the same old status
quo people remain in power.

V. SAMMY WONOK
Jakarta