Govt should take responsibility for crisis: Activists

JAKARTA (JP): Activists from several non-governmental organizations (NGOs) urged yesterday the People's Consultative Assembly to convene a special session to ask for President Soeharto's accountability for the economic crisis.

In a statement presented to Assembly Deputy Speaker Poedjono Pranjoto, the group of 45 people said the ongoing crisis represented the government's failure to function properly.

They argued that this was a valid reason to hold such a session, as stipulated in a 1988 Assembly decree which is still effective.

"The crisis has occurred as the result of a government which dominates all aspects of life, so that the state serves the interests of a small number of people only," they said.

"There is no doubt that the collapse of our economy originates from the... inadequate administrative system. The law has bowed before the government's knee," they said.

Chairwoman of the Indonesian Consumers Organization Tini Hadad, chairman of the Foundation of the Legal Aid Institute Bambang Widjojanto, chairwoman of Jakarta Legal Aid Institute Apong Herlina, and government critic H.J.C. Princen were among the signatories to the joint-statement.

If the call for a special session was heeded, it would be unprecedented under the New Order administration. The first ever special session was held by a provisional Assembly in 1966 which deposed first president Sukarno and named incumbent President Soeharto as his successor.

The statement said overwhelming corruption, collusion, nepotism, and monopolies practiced by government officials and businesspeople had undermined people's lives.

"There have been many irregularities found, but no legal measures followed... not to mention the emergence of conglomerates that have been enjoying government facilities," they said.

The group warned the government that unrest may be triggered by sharp price rises of basic commodities, and those frustrated over losing their jobs in the crisis.

Two million people had become jobless because of the economic crisis, the group said.

Sporadic riots broke out in the East Java towns of Jember, Pasuruan and Banyuwangi last week as hundreds of people looted supermarkets to protest the price hikes.

"We urge the government to immediately control prices and carry out market operations intensively so people can afford to buy basic necessities".

They questioned the legitimacy of the President's signing of a letter of intent spelling out the country's commitment to carry out austere economic reform sponsored by the International Monetary Fund.

"The government should have asked for the people's approval before signing the letter, especially due to the extreme suffering they (the public) will experience as a consequence of the severity of the economic reform," they said.

Separately, the Indonesian Consumers Organization insisted the government establish antimonopoly and consumer protection laws to anticipate an undersupply of commodities caused by the strict IMF-sanctioned economic reforms.

"Imported basic commodities will pour into the country, without adequate control over their quality. There is no instrument which can help consumers sue importers or the government (should there be something wrong with the goods)," said Agus Pambagio, deputy chairman of the organization, in a statement yesterday.

Separately in Yogyakarta, labor advocate organization Lapera Foundation called on local government and companies to avoid massive dismissals due to the economic crisis.

"Instead of solving the problem, layoffs will only make everything worse," executive chairman of the foundation, Agung Wibawanto, said in a statement.

He asked the provincial manpower office to oversee companies intending to dismiss their workers to ensure they followed procedures stipulated by law. (23/10/amd)