Megawati claims success

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja and Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

President Megawati Soekarnoputri has claimed that her government has accomplished numerous achievements, and has lashed out at her critics saying their rap merely served the interests of certain people.

Delivering her progress report at the People's Consultative Assembly Annual Session on Friday, Megawati said her administration had managed to put the country back on track, despite occasional mishaps.

"In actuality, all of our hard work was not without reward. We have managed to improve a great deal, although not completely" Megawati addressed the Session.

She claimed that after five years of reform, her administration had achieved economic recovery, subdued conflicts across the country and reduced the threat of separatism.

"We are indeed making strides and results are forthcoming. Deficiencies and mistakes persist, and we must correct them," she underlined.

Megawati further admonished her critics, saying that the continued complaints against her administration would not do any good for the improvement of the country.

"In essence, such an attitude only turns us into a laughing stock to other groups. Not one party stands to benefit from this attitude that dampens our spirit," she said.

Megawati defended herself from various criticisms and from a growing perception that she had failed to fulfill the reform agenda.

Polls show that the people's confidence in her capability had constantly eroded, and that her popularity fell to even below her ministers'.

Although the overall economic condition is improving along with relative stability, Megawati still fell short of public expectations for justice, as she has had to make compromises to maintain stability.

The country is currently fighting separatism in Aceh, suffering from terrorism threats and coping with a high unemployment rate. Moreover, the old practices of corruption, collusion and nepotism continue unabated, slowing down the reform movement.

Aware of her own weaknesses, Megawati refused to promise a much brighter future for the country as indicated in her lowered economic growth target of 3.66 percent, from 4 percent previously.

In regards Aceh, she said that the government would stop the ongoing military crackdown in Aceh and reopen negotiations if the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) laid down its arms.

"We have repeatedly invited and urged the leaders of GAM to disarm and return to their normal lives," she said.

The first day of the Annual Session proceeded smoothly, with some legislators expressing their disappointment because they could not make an interruption.

Chatibul Umam Wiranu and Effendi Choirie, both from the National Awakening Party (PKB), said they had tried to interrupt the Session to express their views, but failed.

"I tried to interrupt, but the microphone is off. I guess this was done intentionally," Chatibul told The Jakarta Post.

He said legislator A.M. Fatwa of the Reform faction had also tried to make an interruption. Fatwa could not be reached for comment.

Chatibul said he had wanted to propose an evaluation and to make a recommendation to state institutions to create a check-and-balance system.

Choirie said that his faction insisted that the Annual Session would evaluate the performance of the President and issue recommendations to the president and state institutions.

He was referring to the agreement made by Assembly leaders that the Annual Session would neither evaluate the performance of the President nor issue recommendations.

Choirie stressed that the agreement of the Assembly leaders was not binding, and was less powerful than the decision of the Annual Session.

Each faction is scheduled to present on Saturday their general views in response to the report of the President, the House of Representatives (DPR), the State Audit Agency (BPK) and the Supreme Court.

Separately, in his opening remark Assembly Speaker Amien Rais reminded participants that high on the Session's agenda were the establishment of the Constitutional Commission, the revocation of Assembly decrees and the revision of the Assembly's internal regulations.

Amien said he hoped the Annual Session, which was planned to last 10 days, could be cut short.