High-profile cases first: Mega
High-profile cases first: Mega
Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
President Megawati Soekarnoputri ordered her Cabinet members on
Monday, including two coordinating ministers who plan to
challenge her in the presidential election, to work more
efficiently in settling major unresolved issues which can be used
by her rivals to attack her in the presidential race.
As if teasing her potential rivals within the Cabinet, the
President also ordered Minister of Home Affairs Hari Sabarno to
immediately issue campaign regulations for government officials,
requiring them to resign from their position before campaigning.
Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Gen.
(ret.) Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who has indicated his intention
to run as a presidential candidate for the newly established
Democratic Party (PD), cited the problems of poor law
enforcement, the prolonged war in Aceh, terrorism and the
division of the Papua -- which also has an active separatist
movement -- into three provinces among the top priorities.
Other targets include the settlement of border issues with
neighboring countries, and the security of the legislative
elections in April, the first round of the presidential election
in July, and a possible second round in September.
Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare Jusuf Kalla, one of
Golkar's presidential candidates, has been tasked with reducing
unemployment, eradicating poverty and reconstructing post-
conflict areas.
"In the law enforcement field, the President specifically
ordered that certain cases should be finished this year," Susilo
said in a joint press conference with Jusuf and Coordinating
Minister for the Economy, Dorodjatun Kuntjoro-jakti after
attending the Cabinet meeting.
Susilo refused to give details about which cases. He only said
that the President would announce the list sometime this month. A
reliable source close to Megawati however disclosed that the
President clearly pointed her finger at the Rp 1.7 trillion
(US$200 million) Bank BNI scam and the Rp 294 billion Bank BRI
scandal. The corruption cases at the publicly listed state banks
have worsened the government's tarnished image.
She also insisted upon bringing to justice all bad debtors who
are still refusing to repay their debts to the Indonesian Bank
Restructuring Agency (IBRA).
"She did not mention any political cases and simply focused on
the cases that related to her administration," the source, who
also attended the meeting told ^YThe Jakarta Post^Y on the
condition of anonymity.
Despite the President's determination, her ability to curb
corruption, however has been questionable at best, as evidenced
by the fact that she essentially absolved her chief law
enforcers, Attorney General M.A. Rachman, who was accused of
graft in trying to hide assets from the government's wealth audit
commission. She has done very little in eradicating corruption.
When the donors' group, the Consultative Group on Indonesia (CGI)
in its December meeting, criticized her poor record in enforcing
law and corruption eradication, the President simply replied that
the group was just too impatient.
According to Dorodjatun, the Cabinet was also ordered to
prepare next year's state budget, although the Cabinet itself
will end its term in October when the nation will have a new
government.
Meanwhile, a senior presidential staff said that the President
also ordered the submission of the draft on social security
systems to the House of Representatives (DPR) on Jan. 15.
"She intended to have the social security system to be
established during her term as required by the People's
Consultative Assembly decree," the official said.