Megawati asked to set example in fighting corruption
JAKARTA (JP): To set an example, President Megawati Soekarnoputri is urged to declare zero tolerance against corruption by openly calling on all not to give any facility to members of her family or political party.
Legal experts suggested on Wednesday that such an open call against corruption would serve as a good start for Megawati to begin the new administration by projecting herself as a trustworthy role model to regain people's trust in the government.
Irma Hutabarat from Anti-Corruption Consultants said a declaration of zero tolerance from the President would serve as the most effective, quick and powerful stimulus for the nation- wide effort to eradicate corruption.
"Battling against corruption is like sweeping a staircase. It has to be done, starting from the top. Megawati should make a declaration that none of her family and relatives has ever been involved in corruption," Irma told The Jakarta Post, after a seminar on the establishment of an anti-corruption commission.
Erma, who is also chairwoman of the Institute for Civic Education, noted that it was high time for Megawati to state clearly her stance on corruption to distinguish herself from the previous three presidents, all tainted by corruption.
Speaking on the sidelines of the same seminar, the coordinator of Indonesian Corruption Watch (ICW), Teten Masduki, shared the opinion and said that Megawati should clear the State Palace of corrupt practices.
"Until now we have experienced that any request for facilities coming from the State Palace cannot be rejected, and this leads to corruption," Teten said.
In addition, Teten said political parties had also contributed to the rampant corruption in state businesses, which they had treated as cash cows to finance their political spending.
Therefore, Teten said, Megawati must make it clear to the public that state officials, public officials, and state enterprise officials would not be allowed at all to give any kind of facility to her family, relatives and colleagues at the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) that she chairs.
Mardjono Reksodiputro from the National Commission of Law added that Megawati should also stand strong and make no compromises in the handling of past corruption cases, even involving close friends.
"And it's certainly not an easy matter. She will face a lot of political pressure in handling such past cases because they are difficult to prove due to lack of evidence and because the crimes can involve everybody in the past regime.
"In this situation, we have to establish a special court to try corruption cases, with judges of high integrity, who are all creative and courageous enough to ring the changes in handing down severe sentences to corruptors," Mardjono told the Post.
Speaking at the seminar organized by the Laboratory of Sociology Studies of the University of Indonesia, criminal law expert Harkristuti Harkrisnowo expressed his confidence that Megawati had the courage and integrity to fight corruption.
Harkristuti, nevertheless, urged Megawati to select her Cabinet members carefully, especially the top law enforcement officials, including the minister of justice, attorney general and National Police chief.
"They should be professionals who are capable and who can gain the public's acceptance," she added. (bby)