Lethargy in the Cabinet

Lethargy in the Cabinet

It is not only in fighting corruption and reviving the economy that the Cabinet of President Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid is showing inaction, but also in resisting the nation's disintegration and managing natural disasters. We can see how the government has lost its initiative in resolving the sectarian clashes in Ambon and North Maluku. Now the same problem is affecting the efforts to relieve the plight of earthquake victims in Bengkulu.

People in Bengkulu are complaining that the government seems to have lost interest in the problems plaguing them in the disaster-stricken areas. Even while aid is coming in from abroad, the government is doing nothing. People regret that the President and some of his ministers are touring abroad, while Vice President Megawati is not immediately acting because there are a number of programs on her agenda that need to be taken care of.

It now seems that people are beginning to lose their patience waiting for Gus Dur to act. They hope, of course, that he can improve his Cabinet's performance and starts showing a greater interest in the serious problems plaguing the people.

-- Republika, Jakarta