Legislator urges government to heed criticism
JAKARTA (JP): The government should respond quickly to criticism on corruption and other misconduct of its officials, Deputy Speaker of the People's Consultative Assembly H.A. Amiruddin said yesterday.
An openness to criticism, Amiruddin said, is needed to meet the rising demand for clean government and for a bureaucracy that will deliver better services to the public.
Amiruddin did not identify misconduct by specific officials, but condemned extravagant behavior and collusion. The latter drew countrywide attention in 1996, with the Supreme Court's alleged bribe case the most conspicuous.
"The government apparatus must understand that they have a set of regulations of their own and implement them rigidly," former South Sulawesi governor Amiruddin was quoted by Antara.
Observers blamed the closed political system for widespread collusion and corruption, despite government claims they were combating the problem effectively.
Sociologist Loekman Soetrisno of Yogyakarta-based Gadjah Mada University said collusion at the upper level of the apparatus was the most frightening, because of its objective to amass wealth.
Amiruddin was speaking at the induction of Umar Basalim, the assembly's new vice secretary. Basalim replaces Jan Patadungan, who has retired.
Officials at the assembly's secretariat are appointed by the government. Basalim was given the new post on Dec. 24 by a presidential decree.
In his televised year-end speech Tuesday, President Soeharto reiterated the government's commitment to sustaining openness and democracy. However, he warned against letting new ideas and aspirations rush out of control.
Soeharto admitted that, in politics, new ideas had emerged to invigorate democracy in the past 12 months.
Amiruddin stressed the government has a difficult job ahead combating corruption and collusion, as Indonesia holds it general election this year and the People's Consultative Assembly session in 1998. The 1998 assembly will convene to deliberate on the new Broad Guidelines for State Policies and to elect a new president.
The general election, the seventh since Indonesia proclaimed independence in 1945, will take place next May. An estimated 120 million people are expected to cast their vote.
The ruling political grouping Golkar, the United Development Party and the Indonesian Democratic Party are contesting the election, vying for a total of 425 seats in the House of Representatives. The other 75 seats will be reserved for the Armed Forces, whose members do not vote.
The assembly will have their first session in October, followed by discussions within working executive committees to decide the legislations and the Broad Guidelines of State Policies for 1998/2003. The election of President and Vice President will cap the general assembly in March 1998. (amd)