Govt should take responsibility for crisis: Activists

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)