Megawati set to deliver progress report
Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
President Megawati Soekarnoputri is set to deliver her progress report on her first year in power before members of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) on the initial day of the Annual Session on Thursday, a report said.
The less-than-50-page report will cover not only all aspects of government, but also act as a statement of the President regarding the course of the country.
The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) faction chairman at the Assembly, Arifin Panigoro, said after attending the party's executive board plenary meeting with President Megawati, who is also party leader, that the report was considered her political speech.
"The President will emphasize the process for the future of the country. The speech will not only contain her progress report but also function as her political speech," Arifin told reporters.
Megawati met three times with her Cabinet ministers to discuss the draft for her speech and on Wednesday night met the three coordinating ministers and State/Cabinet Secretary Bambang Kesowo to finalize the draft.
However, Vice President Hamzah Haz did not attend the three meetings.
Analysts suspected that his absence was a sign of an increasing rift between Hamzah and Megawati, as they come from ideologically different political parties.
When asked about his absence at the meetings, Hamzah said on Wednesday: "I gave input for the (progress) report. I did not attend the meetings because of other duties."
He further underlined that he was invited by the President to attend the preparation meetings on the progress report.
"But it was not on my agenda to attend those meetings as I had different duties to attend to," the Vice President said.
State Minister of Cooperatives, Small and Medium Enterprises Alimarwan Hanan, who is a confidante of Hamzah, played down speculation of strained relations between Megawati and Hamzah, saying a rift did not exist.
"Pak Hamzah has already given his input for the report and it was not a big deal that he did not attend the meetings," Alimarwan said.
Last year, during the Assembly Annual Session, Hamzah attended all the meetings on the progress report.
Earlier, Minister of Home Affairs Hari Sabarno said the report would reveal problems that arose after the implementation of regional autonomy and that the government would ask the Assembly to once again determine the direction of regional autonomy.
Coordinating Minister for Social Welfare Jusuf Kalla said the President was also slated to address security problems in troubled regions, such as in Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam, Maluku and Papua, including the government's latest policies in dealing with the conflicts.
On the economic field, the President will likely present her administration's achievements in maintaining a stable rupiah and improving the economy during her initial year in power.