Govt takes a beating on terrorism
Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Factions in the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) hailed the government on Saturday for helping to promote democracy in the country but blasted it over its poor handling of terrorism.
Reading out their reactions to President Megawati Soekarnoputri's progress report, the factions said the government had played an important role in the implementation of the direct presidential election system adopted through the constitutional amendments between 1999 and 2002.
The election has been relatively free, peaceful and non- violent, leading some observers to conclude that democracy has taken a firm root in the country.
Former coordinating minister for political and security affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has emerged as the clear winner in the Sept. 20 runoff, garnering 60.9 percent of over 109 million ballots counted by Saturday evening. About 125 million of the 153 million people registered, or 81 percent, are believed to have voted.
During the 33-year leadership of former president Soeharto, vote-rigging was common.
At the plenary meeting on Saturday, the third day of the MPR's annual meeting, the only government minister to attend was interim coordinating minister for political and security affairs Hari Sabarno.
Assembly Speaker Amien Rais said he had suggested to President Megawati not attend as the factions would focus most of their discussions on the Assembly's internal affairs.
"Frankly speaking, we respect our President. It would not be nice to see the President sit here the whole day doing nothing," he said.
The Assembly factions also praised the government for its success in maintaining security and economic stability.
They, however, also criticized the government for failing to prevent the terrorist attacks which have rocked the country since 1999.
"The Golkar faction notices that terrorism has not been handled well. The fact that terrorist suspects have not been arrested has disappointed and worried the people," Golkar spokesman M. Akil Mochtar said.
A series of terrorist attacks have plagued the country since 1999, the bloodiest ones being the Bali bombings on Oct. 12 that killed 202 people and injured over 300 others, the JW Marriott Hotel bombing that claimed 12 innocent lives on Aug. 5, 2003 and the Kuningan car bomb explosion that killed 10 people on Sept. 9.
Police have said regional terrorist network Jamaah Islamiyah is behind the bombs. They are searching for the two most-wanted terror masterminds, bomb-making experts Dr. Azahari Husin and Noordin Mohd. Top.
Megawati's Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) spokesman Sabam Sirait said his faction fully understood the agenda of terrorism eradication had not been finished.
"We hope the next government can eradicate terrorism for the sake of the safety of the people," Sirait said.
United Development Party (PPP) spokesman Zain Badjeber said he hoped the new government would work harder to eradicate corruption, collusion, and nepotism.
During the plenary meeting, military and police faction spokesman Maj. Gen. Kohirin Suganda read a poem entitled "Pamit" (Farewell).
The military and police will no longer be represented in the legislative body.
The plenary meeting also agreed to end the session on Sunday, cutting short the annual meeting from five to four days.