Headline: So underwhelming

Headline: So underwhelming

Amien Rais, leader of an important Indonesian political party, got it about right when asked to appraise President Abdurrahman Wahid's speech of apology yesterday to a highly critical parliament. He said that it was "okay".

Such faint praise is just what Wahid deserves for the 85- minute address read on his behalf as the first annual progress report on his own performance in office. It was long on fine generalities, but short on specifics. It did not leave his audience with the impression that this much-admired but also criticized President will now seize the reins of government and improve the quality of his rule.

In fact, he left the opposite impression. He said he will remove himself even further from day-to-day management of domestic affairs to concentrate on diplomacy. He conceded this will require "a new work arrangement" if administrative drift is to be halted, but said: "Frankly, I have no thoughts yet about who or how the reshuffle will be carried out."

No wonder that Rais and others were underwhelmed. Some leading criticisms of Wahid are that he doesn't recognize the country's serious economic plight, and hasn't put a strong team in charge of setting it right. On Tuesday, he did little more than restate reform goals and promises to work with the International Monetary Fund.

Wahid displayed little sense of urgency or action. There had been hopes that the cabinet member in charge of mines and energy would be named First Minister in charge of directing the Government. Until something like that occurs, Wahid's marks will remain "okay" at best.

-- The South China Morning Post