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)