Corruption eradication

Corruption eradication

President Megawati once stated that the Indonesian bureaucracy
was like a waste basket. What she meant was that the bureaucracy
is not capable of carrying out public policy and lacks
coordination. I think the President also realizes that the
bureaucracy lacks more than just professionalism. It is a public
secret that all branches of the government, the executive,
legislative and judiciary, are corrupt.

Tempo of Nov. 25 and Dec. 1 reported a statement of President
Megawati that she will not replace Attorney General M. A. Rachman
despite the fact that legal action is still taking place in
connection with a luxury house owned by the attorney general that
he failed to report to the Public Servants' Wealth Audit
Commission (KPKPN).

The President's reason for maintaining the attorney general
is because she is not sure that there is a better candidate to
replace M. A. Rachman.

Tempo also quoted the President as saying: "If I must replace
the Attorney General only because of a house, I am afraid I will
have to replace all the ministers". Does the President mean to
say that all ministers are as problematic as the attorney
general?

If the Tempo quotation is accurate, the Indonesian people can
do nothing but sigh and say how unlucky this country and its 200
million inhabitants are.

If there is no one qualified to take the position of attorney
general, are there people eligible to fill even higher positions?
Is the 2004 general election still necessary? Let us hope that M.
A. Rachman can eradicate corruption, collusion and nepotism
before his retirement. Otherwise the waste basket will become
bigger and bigger.

CORNELIS A. BOCKY

Jakarta