Leading government critics join hands for reforms

JAKARTA (JP): Some twenty prominent government critics, including Megawati Soekarnoputri, Amien Rais, Ali Sadikin and Supeni, urged the government to make urgent economic and political reforms at a meeting here yesterday.

The group, calling itself the Group of Oct. 28, issued a statement saying fundamental reforms were the only answer to the ongoing monetary crisis which has gripped the country since July last year.

"What we (the nation) need now is a commitment to seriously implement the principles contained in the 1945 Constitution and the state ideology Pancasila," Supeni, at whose residence the meeting was held, said.

"Those principles have been neglected by the ruling government," she said.

Supeni is a former leader of the now defunct Indonesian Nationalist Party which was one of four organizations merged to form the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) in 1973.

She cited the recruitment of members to the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) as one example of the neglect of Pancasila principles.

"MPR members were appointed, not elected by the people."

Yesterday's gathering brought together a mix of public figures and critics of the government.

Amien Rais is chairman of the 28-million Muhammadiyah Moslem organization and Megawati Soekarnoputri was ousted as leader of the PDI in 1996.

Also present were prominent members of the Petisi 50 oppositional group, Ali Sadikin, Chris Siner Key Timu and Usep Ranawijaya.

Conspicuously absent was Abdurrahman Wahid, chairman of the 30-million strong Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) Moslem organization, who had been invited.

"I will go to such meetings only if there is a common platform for all members of the group," he said yesterday afternoon after installing the new officials of the Indonesian Islamic Students Movement in a ceremony at the state Pawnshop Service office.

He said that an important meeting to form a political coalition needed a lot of planning and a common understanding of the movement.

He said it was important to involve government officials in such a movement.

Secretary-general of the National Commission on Human Rights Baharuddin Lopa turned up at the meeting but left before it started.

"I have a lot of things to do at the office," he said.

After addressing the media yesterday, the group held a closed door discussion.

Supeni said the group, which took its name from the date of its first meeting last year, was deeply concerned about the economic crisis and stagnant democratization in the country.

"However, we are positive that the crisis will be settled with the government's seriousness about political and economic reforms."

Supeni said the country was now facing a serious and critical situation and that broad public cooperation was needed to solve the problems.

"We would never have voiced such a call if the country, in this case the government, had truly implemented the principles stipulated in the five-principle Pancasila and the 1945 Constitution," she said.

Amien Rais also urged officials to be more open minded during times of crisis and willing to get together with non-government and public figures to discuss possible solutions.

"They (government officials) should remember that there are non-government Indonesians, who are clever and have the same 24 carat love and commitment to the country as they have," he said.

"I hope that the 1,000 MPR members will also listen to the people's aspirations and side with their political interests."

The group also hailed and gave their support to calls for Amien Rais and Megawati to be nominated as presidential candidates.

"We happily welcome the readiness of Amien Rais and Megawati Soekarnoputri to be nominated by the people and by the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) as president (candidates) for the 1998/2003 period," the statement read. (imn/09)