Megawati 'refuses' to read progress report

Megawati 'refuses' to read progress report

JAKARTA (JP): While relations between President and Vice
President are said to be congenial, aides close to Megawati
Soekarnoputri said the fact that she did not read Monday's key
presidential report was evidence of her dissatisfaction with it.

Monday's "incident" was the second time in less than three
weeks she has reportedly rejected reading a presidential report.

Last month, she was said to have refused to read the
President's explanation at the interpellation hearing with the
House of Representatives due to Abdurrahman Wahid's controversial
view on the proceedings.

During both occasions, officials had stated that Megawati
would read the speech on behalf of the President.

Sources said Megawati informed Abdurrahman on Sunday night
that it was better for him to find another official to read out
his progress report to the People's Consultative Assembly on
Monday.

The source said Megawati said she was critical of the speech's
draft because it was too general and would only confuse the
people who needed concrete and more detailed programs.

"Ibu refused to read out the speech, because her suggestion to
make the speech more detailed was not heard by the President," an
official, who asked not to be named, told The Jakarta Post.

The official said Megawati particularly wanted a more
transparent and concrete report about the latest developments in
Aceh, Maluku and Irian Jaya included.

"She clearly conveyed her reservations to the President, but
the President did not give any reaction," the official said,
adding that it was a way for Megawati to personally distance
herself from the report.

Cabinet Secretary Marsilam Simanjuntak read out the speech on
behalf of the President on Monday.

The President disclosed on Friday that he had agreed with
Minister of Mines and Energy Lt. Gen. (ret.) Susilo Bambang
Yudhoyono's suggestions to avoid details and to make the speech
as general as possible to avoid controversy.

After meeting with the President, Susilo said at the time
Megawati had given her approval to read out the speech due to
Abdurrahman's vision problem.

The fact that Marsilam was the one to read the speech also
took the Assembly by surprise, with one member interrupting
proceedings to demand that Megawati be the one to read the report
as originally planned.

Last month during the interpellation hearing it was State
Secretary Djohan Effendy who read out the controversial speech.
(prb)