Megawati's Bali holiday ruins thrift drive: Critics

Megawati's Bali holiday ruins thrift drive: Critics

Bambang Nurbianto and Febiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post,
Jakarta

The first family's five-day holiday on the resort Island of
Bali is marring the President's recently launched campaign for
austerity, critics said on Sunday.

President Megawati Soekarnoputri, her husband Taufik Kiemas
and relatives and close friends are in Bali until Wednesday. They
plan celebrate the new year and Taufik's 58th birthday.

A personal pleasure trip using state facilities is not in line
with the spirit of the austerity campaign that the Megawati
administration started just last week, critics maintained.

Chairman of the Indonesian Society for Transparency (MTI)
Sudirman said here on Sunday the austerity campaign would become
meaningless if top government leaders failed to serve as a model.

"We just heard about austerity, efficiency and other efforts
to cut unnecessary consumption. Why should the people listen to
her if she fails to do what she preaches," Sudirman told The
Jakarta Post.

Criticism also came from Wardah Hafidz, chairwoman of the
Urban Poor Consortium (UPC). She said the vacation showed her
inconsistency.

"Megawati has frequently made inconsistent statements. People
may still remember how she pledged to combat corruption,
collusion and nepotism, but she allows her relatives to practice
just that," Wardah told the Post.

Megawati's 44-strong entourage, including members of her
family, friends and government officials flew to Bali using a
presidential plane.

She went on the trip just a few days after she called on the
nation's people to lead more modest lifestyles. The call was
followed by a ministerial instruction to cut state expenses in
all government's offices.

Sudirman said no one would question the President's right to
enjoy a holiday under the normal circumstances because it is
everybody's right.

People will respect Megawati more if, during the serious
economic crisis and in the context of the austerity campaign she
initiated, she also showed modesty in holidaying, he said.

The Bali pleasure trip is also feared to raise more questions
over her recent decision to cancel an official trip to Papua over
Christmas initially scheduled for Dec. 23. The Papuan people have
demanded to know the real reasons for the trip cancellation, as
no clear reason had been given.

"I am afraid, the Papuan people will be angry knowing that the
President is celebrating the new year in Bali," Sudirman said.

Separately, an official at the State Secretariat told the Post
on Sunday that there were no laws on the use of state facilities
by the President for recreational activities.

The secretariat's job is to just arrange everything for the
first family's program.

"The President is using state facilities during her trip to
Bali. They are accommodated at Tampak Siring Palace," said the
official who refused to say whether the state also financed the
whole trip.

The ongoing deliberation on the bill on the presidency at the
House of Representatives seems to overlook details such as
vacations and personal use of the state properties by the
President.

Sudirman did not question the state facilities being used by
the President and her family as they have rights to use the
facilities.

"If the situation were normal, there would be no problem with
such a holiday. People question such a trip because of the
difficulties being faced by the nation," he added.