Government policies open to correction: Soeharto

Government policies open to correction: Soeharto

JAKARTA (JP): President Soeharto said yesterday government
policies were open to correction but improvement efforts could
only be conducted gradually.

Soeharto said in a farewell party for House of Representatives
legislators that the nation was in the process of obtaining an
enriching experience on how to manage such a big and complex
country, and it was likely that the government might adopt some
incorrect policies.

"All policies and strategies, either in the past, currently
underway or in the future, are basically initial measures. We
will enhance them if they are proven to be right, but revise them
if they are wrong," Soeharto said.

He said the House had faced the same difficulties in its
legislative, controlling and budgetary jobs.

"Sometimes intense deliberation remains insufficient to
accommodate all people's aspirations and interests," he said.

He did not elaborate but the House had recently had to
deliberate the newly endorsed broadcasting bill twice due to some
problematic articles.

Soeharto said the government could not bear its burden alone
and, therefore, was in need of the House's helping hand.

"We will have to assume far more difficult jobs if the House,
as our partner, does not take the real condition we are facing
into account," he said.

Vice President Try Sutrisno, House Speaker Wahono, and his
four deputies, Soetedjo, John Ario Katili, Ismail Hasan Metareum
and Soerjadi, were present at the gathering of legislators whose
term will end next Tuesday. Several cabinet ministers were also
present last night including State Minister of Research and
Technology B.J. Habibie.

The new House legislators, most of them to serve their first
term, will be installed on Wednesday.

It was Soeharto's second appearance at the farewell gathering
since his first in 1987.

Soeharto hailed the legislators for creating a situation where
cabinet ministers had to work hard in many bill deliberations.

"I can say that the ministers and their staff were well-
prepared before encountering House legislators. The ministers
understood that they could face trouble not only from the
legislators, but also public opinion, if they were not well-
prepared," Soeharto said.

During their five-year term, the outgoing legislators passed
73 bills and a new internal rule.

Wahono said in his speech that the House kept up its critical
stance over many government policies merely because it was doing
its job to control the government.

"The criticism was aimed at helping the President carry out
his duties as mandated by the State Policy Guidelines," Wahono
said.

Early yesterday, secretary-general of the National Security
and Defense Council Soekarto said the council had started handing
out its draft on the State Policy Guidelines to all factions
attending the general session of the People's Consultative
Assembly in March.

Soekarto said after a meeting with Soeharto that the draft was
just a recommendation and the council, which was chaired by the
President, did not intend to force the Assembly to adopt it as a
reference.

The 1,000-strong Assembly will endorse the State Policy
Guidelines and elect a president and vice president during the
March session.

Soekarto said that along with the State Policy Guidelines, the
council had prepared a draft on Pancasila democracy and human
rights.

He said Golkar, the United Development Party, the Indonesian
Democratic Party and the Armed Forces would receive the draft on
Tuesday. (prb/amd)