Megawati's progress report

As was perhaps to be expected, President Megawati Soekarnoputri's annual report to the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) on Thursday drew little excitement from the nation's top legislators, many of whom were caught dozing off during her hour-long speech.

One reason for this, presumably, was that, unlike her father, the nation's late founding president Sukarno, President Megawati's speaking skills border on the nonexistent. Another reason, however, could be that the President's speech was not an accountability report that the legislators could comment on, accept or reject in accordance with either their personal conscience or political affiliations.

The fact is that Indonesia's political leaders had earlier agreed this was to be a straightforward "progress report" rather than an accountability address, for fear the session might be turned into a "special session" for passing judgment -- and possibly toppling -- the President and her one-year-old government, as happened before to presidents B.J. Habibie and Abdurrahman Wahid, plunging the country into another political crisis it can ill afford.

To be fair, however, the President's address was not entirely without interest. She did mention a number of points on the progress her government has undeniably achieved -- little as this progress may be in the eyes of her critics. For instance, according to President Megawati, with the exception of Aceh, the security situation has considerably improved nationwide, although outbreaks of turmoil have flared up from time to time.

In Maluku, the situation has improved to a degree that makes it possible for the government to consider lifting the civil emergency status. In the previously restive province of North Maluku, the President said, the situation had returned to almost normal.

On the economic and political fronts, the President said stability had been attained, although minor disturbances continued to occur. The national currency, the rupiah, has stabilized at levels of around Rp 9,000 to the U.S. dollar improving relations with the International Monetary Fund, a necessity, Megawati said, which Indonesia could hardly escape from given the existing circumstances. Among the few points in the President's speech that did manage to draw some applause from the assembly was her promise that the government would start improving the lot of teachers next year.

On the other hand, the President gave no explanation of her actions on a number of points that evidently give reason for many to worry, especially the young and reformist generation of Indonesians. For example, there was no mention of the degree to which she has succeeded in bringing about reform, particularly in the military, which in the eyes of many observers appear to be regaining strength, or at least appear to be on the way to regaining their political clout.

Nor was there any mention about the progress her government has made on the fight against corruption, collusion and nepotism -- social cancers popularly known under the Indonesian acronym of KKN. Obviously, the MPR annual session is not a place for the president to mention local politics.

Nevertheless, she could have given a veiled hint of her true reasons for stubbornly supporting Sutiyoso as the gubernatorial candidate for Jakarta, even though he is legally implied in the July 27, 1996, violent attack on the Indonesian Democratic Party's (PDI) former headquarters in Jakarta. That, at least, might have reassured the victims of the attack who currently feel betrayed by Megawati's support of Sutiyoso.

As for the lethargy the legislators displayed during her speech, it could well be because those honorable members of the assembly had more pressing matters on their minds. Indeed, Megawati's "progress report" fades into insignificance when compared to the issue of amending the 1945 Constitution.

This and the possible formation of a Constitutional Commission -- and not Megawati's progress report -- are the true crucial issues in the MPR at present on which the future of democracy in Indonesia hangs. Happily, some progress toward a happy resolution of existing differences among factions on these points appears to have been made. For the alternative to an agreement on these two issues could well be a return to authoritarian rule with the support of the military.