Megawati set to deliver progress report

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.