Coalition seeks to challenge Mega, Hamzah

Coalition seeks to challenge Mega, Hamzah

Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Despite facing a serious charge of instigating nationwide
antigovernment protests, politician Eros Djarot declared the
establishment of the National Coalition on Wednesday with the aim
of challenging the current regime, which he said had failed to be
a government of the people.

The coalition urged the public to oppose government policies
considered imperialistic and establish a new government through
democratic means.

"We demand that the government reverse its decision on utility
price hikes and stop intervention by the International Monetary
Fund (IMF), the World Bank and other foreign financial
institutions in the country's political and economic policies,"
Eros said when declaring the coalition.

"If Megawati and Hamzah Haz fail to heed our demands, we will
declare their leadership a failure," Eros said as he read out the
coalition's declaration.

Also attending the declaration were, among others, legislators
Haryanto Taslam and Meilono Suwondo of President Megawati
Soekarnoputri's Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI
Perjuangan); Dita Indah Sari of the National Front for the
Struggle of Indonesian Workers (FNPBI) and Sri Bintang Pamungkas
of the Indonesian Democratic Union Party (PUDI).

The coalition also condemned members of the People's
Consultative Assembly (MPR) and the House of Representatives
(DPR) "for turning a deaf ear to the very people they claim to
represent".

The government came under fire following its decision to
increase fuel and utility prices on Jan. 1.

Bowing to public pressure, the government announced on Monday
that it had decided to roll back fuel prices and offer discounts
on electricity to business and industrial customers.

The announcement, however, failed to appease trade unions,
student activists and non-governmental organizations who have
been staging antigovernment protests since the price increases
were introduced on Jan. 1.

Students and trade unions have vowed to continue their
protests and shifted demands to include the ouster of Megawati
and Vice President Hamzah Haz.

Instead of rectifying its mistake, the government pointed its
finger at Eros, former Indonesian Military (TNI) chief Gen. (ret)
Wiranto, National Mandate Party (PAN) lawmaker and former finance
minister Fuad Bawazier and former cooperatives minister and
incumbent chairman of the Association of Indonesian Muslim
Intellectuals (ICMI) Adi Sasono as masterminds of nationwide
antigovernment protests.

Both Eros and Adi Sasono have denied the allegation.