Habibie's account to MPR may skirt sensitive issues
Habibie's account to MPR may skirt sensitive issues
JAKARTA (JP): Three of President B.J. Habibie's most sensitive
problems -- the alleged corruption by Soeharto, the Bank Bali
scandal and the East Timor issue -- looks set to be sidelined in
his upcoming accountability speech to the nation's highest
institution.
A six-hour Cabinet meeting at the Bina Graha presidential
office took place on Wednesday to discuss the President's
accountability speech.
If accounts from participants at that meeting are anything to
go by, Habibie will most likely focus on his economic "successes"
in his next Thursday address to the People's Consultative
Assembly.
After the meeting, Minister of Information Muhammad Yunus and
Minister of Finance Bambang Subianto sang the government's
praises in taming hyperinflation and combating corruption,
collusion and nepotism (locally known as KKN).
"The Cabinet's working period was short, and it inherited
various severe diseases; practices of KKN were so rampant. All of
these problems have been gradually eradicated and neutralized,"
Yunus said.
He drew attention to the government's success in stabilizing
and strengthening the rupiah, which fell dramatically against the
U.S. dollar to a point where at one stage, it reached Rp 15,000
against the greenback.
Bambang was keen to recall how Indonesia's net foreign
exchange reserves in September reached US$16 billion, or $2
billion higher than required by the International Monetary Fund.
"Inflation from January to September this year was only 0.02
percent, while for the same period last year it reached 75.4
percent. It is a tremendous achievement," Bambang said.
A senior official who also attended the meeting said Habibie
appeared optimistic that the Assembly would accept his
accountability speech, particularly considering the
administration's impressive economic achievements and democracy
measures.
"Pak Habibie is very confident on the acceptance," said the
official, who requested anonymity.
The President's address to the Assembly will be the first
hurdle Habibie faces if he hopes to retain the top job. A
rejection would spell the end of any comeback for the former vice
president.
Yunus acknowledged that the Cabinet meeting only gave cursory
attention to the alleged corruption by Soeharto, the Bank Bali
affair and East Timor.
"They were not discussed in detail because the meeting was
only a review on all the progress achieved. But basically the
issues will be included in the President's speech," Yunus said.
Bambang, whose name was linked with the Bank Bali scandal,
looked uncomfortable after a journalist brought up the scandal,
but Yunus continued to defend the government's achievements.
Speaking of the widely held negative perceptions of the
administration, Yunus quoted Habibie as saying that it was "as if
the government never did good things".
Yunus said the President's accountability speech would not
only address the tasks mandated to him by the Assembly, but would
also include his performance as vice president from March 11 to
May 21 last year, the date he replaced Soeharto. (prb)
JAKARTA (JP): Three of President B.J. Habibie's most sensitive
problems -- the alleged corruption by Soeharto, the Bank Bali
scandal and the East Timor issue -- looks set to be sidelined in
his upcoming accountability speech to the nation's highest
institution.
A six-hour Cabinet meeting at the Bina Graha presidential
office took place on Wednesday to discuss the President's
accountability speech.
If accounts from participants at that meeting are anything to
go by, Habibie will most likely focus on his economic "successes"
in his next Thursday address to the People's Consultative
Assembly.
After the meeting, Minister of Information Muhammad Yunus and
Minister of Finance Bambang Subianto sang the government's
praises in taming hyperinflation and combating corruption,
collusion and nepotism (locally known as KKN).
"The Cabinet's working period was short, and it inherited
various severe diseases; practices of KKN were so rampant. All of
these problems have been gradually eradicated and neutralized,"
Yunus said.
He drew attention to the government's success in stabilizing
and strengthening the rupiah, which fell dramatically against the
U.S. dollar to a point where at one stage, it reached Rp 15,000
against the greenback.
Bambang was keen to recall how Indonesia's net foreign
exchange reserves in September reached US$16 billion, or $2
billion higher than required by the International Monetary Fund.
"Inflation from January to September this year was only 0.02
percent, while for the same period last year it reached 75.4
percent. It is a tremendous achievement," Bambang said.
A senior official who also attended the meeting said Habibie
appeared optimistic that the Assembly would accept his
accountability speech, particularly considering the
administration's impressive economic achievements and democracy
measures.
"Pak Habibie is very confident on the acceptance," said the
official, who requested anonymity.
The President's address to the Assembly will be the first
hurdle Habibie faces if he hopes to retain the top job. A
rejection would spell the end of any comeback for the former vice
president.
Yunus acknowledged that the Cabinet meeting only gave cursory
attention to the alleged corruption by Soeharto, the Bank Bali
affair and East Timor.
"They were not discussed in detail because the meeting was
only a review on all the progress achieved. But basically the
issues will be included in the President's speech," Yunus said.
Bambang, whose name was linked with the Bank Bali scandal,
looked uncomfortable after a journalist brought up the scandal,
but Yunus continued to defend the government's achievements.
Speaking of the widely held negative perceptions of the
administration, Yunus quoted Habibie as saying that it was "as if
the government never did good things".
Yunus said the President's accountability speech would not
only address the tasks mandated to him by the Assembly, but would
also include his performance as vice president from March 11 to
May 21 last year, the date he replaced Soeharto. (prb)