Gus Dur says IMF playing into his enemies' hands
Gus Dur says IMF playing into his enemies' hands
BANGKOK (Agencies): Indonesian President Abdurrahman Wahid has claimed that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is bolstering his enemies by delaying its latest aid tranche, according to local media.
The IMF was playing into his adversaries' hands by criticizing his administration, Abdurrahman told the Bangkok Post in comments reported Sunday.
"The IMF must learn the art of compromise... The IMF must understand me," he said.
The organization, for example, should realize that it is politically prudent for the Indonesian government to continue subsidizing farmers for at least three years, Wahid said.
It must also appreciate that certain political factors will take time for Jakarta to control, Wahid said, alluding to recent separatist activity throughout the archipelago, such as in Aceh.
For its part, Indonesia will try to "meet the IMF stipulations," the President said.
IMF officials are reported to be frustrated with and critical of the current political instability and Wahid's handling of the economy.
Earlier this week Indonesia's coordinating minister for the economy confirmed that the IMF had delayed the scheduled December disbursement of a US$400 million loan to Jakarta.
According to Jakarta media reports, Indonesia has failed to fulfill a number of key reform commitments on deadline, prompting the fund to postpone this month's loan disbursement, part of a five billion dollar loan package, until February or March.
But Indonesian officials have stressed that the delay is for purely technical reasons related to "scheduling" and is not Jakarta's fault.
The IMF came to Indonesia's rescue when the regional financial crisis hit the country in 1997. However, the bailout is subject to Indonesia's economic reform.
Abdurrahman visited Bangkok on Dec. 14 and 15 to receive an honorary doctorate in philosophy from the Asian Institute of Technology, a university in the Thai capital.
Singapore
Abdurrahman also said he had spoken to Singapore Senior Minister Lew Kuan Yew about stopping commercial banks in the island state speculating in the beleaguered rupiah.
But Lee told him the central bank had no authority over commercial banks in this area, the Bangkok Post further reported.
"When I said to him (Lee) that the central bank of Singapore should advise commercial banks to stop dealing in rupiah, he said the Singapore central bank had no authority over commercial banks.
"In a way, he said that the government of Singapore will not do anything to stop this kind of speculation."
The Indonesian President did not elaborate or say when his conversation with the senior minister took place and Lee's office in Singapore could not immediately be contacted.
The beleaguered rupiah has been hit hard by political and economic worries. The currency was last quoted at Rp 9,340 to the dollar on Friday.
His comments came barely three weeks after he accused neighboring Singapore of taking advantage of Indonesia's woes and caring only about profits, and that the largely Chinese island state was anti-Malay.
Since then ministers from both sides have tried to downplay the impact of Wahid's remarks on bilateral ties.
Abdurrahman, noted for his confusing and often bizarre comments, also repeated a suggestion he made at the ASEAN summit in Singapore last month that East Timor should be brought into the regional grouping, a move which he said Lee disagreed with.
The Indonesian leader said the main purpose of the Association of South East Asian Nations was to show solidarity and to help poorer members.
Abdurrahman had also called for Papua New Guinea to be allowed to join the Southeast Asian grouping.