Indonesia needs a prime minister

Noted experts and officials meeting in Bali over the weekend offered recommendations to help the nation escape its current crisis. Mochtar Pabottingi, senior researcher at the National Institute of Sciences analyses the recommendations.

Question: How do you read the recommendations put forward by the National Dialog Forum?

Mochtar: They look good. But the forum's participants made recommendations on three sectors (politics, legal and economics) at once and, whether or not a priority is set, the recommendations will be difficult to implement effectively. The forum's implicit recommendation to maintain Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid as head of government up to 2004 may cause difficulties. We have to appoint a prime minister as head of government.

Q: How should the recommendations read?

M: They should have focused on the improvement of law enforcement because our economic, political, legal and leadership problems have been caused by poor law enforcement. Rather than being the source of justice, laws thus far have become the source of injustice.

Q: Could you elaborate?

A: To talk straight, I would say that all the institutions related to law enforcement must be shaken up because their officials have so far practiced synergic collaboration for corruption and betrayal of the republic. All the high-ranking -- echelons one and two -- officials in the prosecutors office, the police and courts, for example, must be replaced except a very few who are really credible.

With new credible leaders, those law enforcement institutions will be able to bring major corruptors and human rights violators to court and punish them. Such seriousness by the authorities in enforcing the laws will deter business and political actors from becoming involved in new corruption and human rights violations.

If we put priority on economic development without improving law enforcement, corrupt officials and businesspeople will continue their bad conduct because rules of the game remain as usual.

Q: Should we also make changes in laws?

A: The most important thing is that we must amend our 1945 Constitution to guarantee the supremacy of law. Our current constitution does not have any articles that guarantee the sovereignty of the people, protects against abuse of power and protects human rights.

Q: Why do you think we need to change Gus Dur as head of the government?

A: Gus Dur apparently has no capacity to rule the country. If we continue with Gus Dur as head of the government for another four years, with his controversial statements and inconsistent political practices, I'm afraid social problems will accumulate and troubles may explode. But toppling him from the presidency also would be dangerous because it would set a bad precedence and his supporters would run amok. As a consequence, the country would plunge into chaos and we don't want that to happen.

Q: What solution do you offer?

A: To save the country, we should retain Gus Dur as head of state and Vice President Megawati Soekarnoputri as his deputy. But at the same time, we should select a prime minister, not a first minister (menteri pertama) as suggested by others, including Supreme Advisory Council (DPA) chairman Achmad Tirtosudiro, to lead the government under a parliamentary cabinet system. If we appointed a first minister, instead of a prime minister, we would continue with the presidential cabinet system, under which Gus Dur would still have opportunity to intervene in government policies.

Q: How can our constitution allow such a parliamentary cabinet system?

A: The People's Consultative Assembly (MPR), while amending the Constitution of 1945 for permanent implementation, should make a temporary amendment based on necessity and expediency (not by design and preference) to allow the implementation of a parliamentary cabinet system until 2004.

Q: How would the MPR appoint a prime minister after amending the constitution?

A: The MPR, which represents the people's sovereignty, can change its coming annual General Session in August into an extraordinary session for the nomination of a prime minister.

Q: How can the MPR have an extraordinary session without evidence that the President has violated the constitution? Can the House of Representatives (DPR) ask the MPR to hold an extraordinary session following the exercise of its interpellation right later this month?

A: The issue to be raised at the coming interpellation session (related to the firing of former minister of industry and trade Yusuf Kalla and former state minister of investment and state enterprises Laksamana Sukardi) is too trivial to be used as reason for that. The MPR itself can change its August meeting into an extraordinary session for the reason that Gus Dur's government has no sense of urgency for the recovery of the country from its crisis.

Q: Who do you think is the most appropriate to be appointed as prime minister?

A: I cannot mention a name but a law expert with high credibility and reputation should get high priority to be nominated as prime minister for the time being. (Rikza Abdullah)