Megawati's progress report

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.