Mega told to focus on law, security in 2003

Mega told to focus on law, security in 2003

Berni K. Moestafa, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

President Megawati Soekarnoputri should focus next year's
policies on improving law and security in the country, while her
ministers should stay away from state funds as their parties
prepare for the 2004 general elections, observers said on Monday.

Political analyst Indria Samego said law and security needed
to be at the top of the government's priority list for this year
as well as next.

"It all starts with upholding law, providing legal certainty
and security," the political and military analyst of the National
Institute of Sciences (LIPI) said on Monday.

He said corruption cases involving political parties would
likely rise in the lead-up to the 2004 elections.

The sale of state companies and other projects involving vast
amounts of state funds were at risk of interference from
political parties, he said.

Quarrels among parties, he added, would also rise as they
scramble to raise funds for the elections.

Indria added that the government should be doing more on the
security front.

While terrorism and separatism will remain the toughest
challenges for next year, he said, the government should not
neglect providing security for investors.

Analysts blame the fall in investment on the lack of security
and legal certainty. Domestic and foreign investment approvals
fell by 70 percent and 45 percent respectively in the first half
of 2002, data from the state investment board shows.

"Decisiveness, that's what the government has to show in its
policies -- it's foremost in upholding the law," political
analyst and legal expert Hamid Awaluddin said when asked what
President Megawati's priorities should be for next year.

With the 2004 elections approaching, the government should
also be firm with keeping political parties' fund-raising efforts
within the regulated limit.

The Law on political parties limits a party's annual donations
to Rp 200 million from an individual and Rp 800 million from a
legal entity, such as a company.

On the legal front, Hamid said that Megawati should also
clarify Attorney General M.A. Rachman's status after the semi-
independent Public Servants' Wealth Audit Commission (KPKPN)
questioned the sources of some of his assets.

"Should legal action be taken against him? If not, then she
(Megawati) should clear him of KPKPN's charges," Hamid said.

While the two analysts warned of a higher risk of corruption
among political parties next year, Indonesian Corruption Watch's
(ICW) Teten Masduki thought otherwise.

He argued that businessmen accused of corruption were unlikely
to bribe politicians for protection, even as parties were on the
lookout for funds. Bribing politicians, he said, turned out to be
ineffective.

Teten said it would be cheaper for them to bribe a string of
law enforcers -- the police, lawyers, prosecutors, right up to
the judges.

Thus the government should concentrate its fight against
corruption on the purging of the country's judiciary, he said.