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.