Govt fails to resolve dire issues: Gus Dur

Govt fails to resolve dire issues: Gus Dur

Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Former president Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid criticized the
government on Friday for its failures to address pressing
problems, and warned that the current government could collapse
if Golkar and the Indonesian Military (TNI) withdrew their
support.

"As the government is no longer capable of carrying out its
task effectively, it's time to take over," Gus Dur said without
elaborating.

Gus Dur also condemned a legal maneuver carried out by the
Attorney General's Office to arrest House Speaker and Golkar
Chairman Akbar Tandjung, saying that it would only trigger a
battle between the executive and legislative branches.

Briefing the press at the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) Headquarters on
Jl. Kramat Raya, Central Jakarta, Gus Dur argued that "it is rare
for the head of the executive branch (Megawati) to approve the
incarceration of the House of Representatives (DPR) speaker as
the two institutions are equal."

"Even though the Attorney General's Office decided to detain
Akbar because it has sufficient reasons to do so, we could see
that Megawati, knowingly or unknowingly, has supported the move,
despite claims that she didn't intervene in the legal process,"
Gus Dur said, while making it clear that the Attorney General is
a Cabinet member and a subordinate of the President.

Akbar, a suspect in a Rp 54.6 billion financial scandal
involving State Logistics Agency (Bulog), was detained on
Thursday, making him the highest official to be incarcerated in
the country's attempts to wipe out corruption, nepotism and
collusion, which were widely blamed for Indonesia's economic
collapse.

Megawati, who took over as President in July 2001 with the
support of a loose coalition that included Golkar, has not issued
an official statement on Akbar's detention.

"Considering that our national courts can be arranged for the
sake of certain interests, Akbar may be free from all legal
charges," Gus Dur added.

According to Gus Dur, Akbar's detention had effectively
destroyed the House speaker's political career.

He also questioned the glaring absence of Cabinet ministers
with military backgrounds at the commemoration of the Army's
Strategic Reserves Command's (Kostrad) anniversary last Thursday.

"The absence of these ministers showed that senior military
personnel holding political posts have been ignored by the TNI
leadership," he said.

There are currently three former military personnel in
Megawati's Gotong Royong Cabinet, Coordinating Minister for
Political and Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, Minister
of Home Affairs Hari Sabarno and Minister of Transportation Agum
Gumelar.

Gus Dur also criticized the Cabinet decision to set a three-
month deadline for banks to repay their debts, saying that the
policy angered conglomerates.

"By deciding that the government will not extend the period of
debt repayment for these conglomerates, many of them have
expressed their anger to me... and of course it (the anger) will
be a threat for Megawati's administration," Gus Dur said.

In a developing country like Indonesia, a close relationship
between the government and the private sector was a must, he
said.

Many believe that several conglomerates previously linked to
the New Order regime have switched their allegiance to Megawati's
administration and have given financial support both to her party
and administration for the sake of their mutual benefit.