Message loud and clear, President tells MPR

JAKARTA (JP): After accepting criticism and complaints from political factions in the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR), President Abdurrahman Wahid called on Wednesday night for their cooperation in resolving the country's many problems.

"I fully observed and understood the messages contained in the general overview of each MPR faction, and I accept them with an open heart and respect," the President said in his response to the factions' scathing criticism of his first 10 months in office.

"It would not be exaggerating to ask that my explanation here also be accepted in that same spirit," he told a plenary meeting of the MPR, which on Tuesday tore apart his progress report and judged it unsatisfactory and disappointing.

"If my wish is fulfilled, then I'm sure the government, along with other state institutions, will find it easier to lead this nation out of its difficulties," the nearly blind leader said in a speech read by Cabinet Secretary Marsilam Simanjuntak.

"Let's begin a new tradition and manage the state in a healthy, peaceful and effective manner," he said to large applause from the floor.

The President's progress report presented on the opening day of the MPR Annual Session on Monday was given a big thumbs down on Tuesday by all but one of the 11 MPR factions.

The only positive words came from his own National Awakening Party (PKB).

The other 10 criticized his poor record on the economy, security, supremacy of the law and anticorruption efforts. Many factions also criticized his leadership style and his penchant for starting controversy.

However, none of the major political parties called for his resignation. The nearest to such a demand came from the Muslim- oriented United Development Party (PPP) and National Mandate Party (PAN), who asked the President whether he thought he could still continue to serve given his poor record.

On Wednesday night, there were none of the President's trademark jokes as he addressed some of his criticisms. Dealing with each criticism one by one, he said he would not answer those he considered as personal attacks based on "like and dislike".

He defended his record on all fronts and supplied detailed explanations -- often with figures and tables -- that were left out of Monday's progress report.

Some MPR members booed him when he mentioned money received from Brunei Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, which is currently the subject of an ongoing investigation by the House of Representatives.

"It (the money) was a personal donation from the Brunei sultan to a number of nongovernmental and student organizations in Aceh, Maluku and Irian Jaya which I know of because they have reported it to me," he said.

The House is currently looking into the Bruneigate affair because the US$2 million which was handled by the President's office was never reported to the Ministry of Finance.

The President lightly dismissed the Bulogate scandal as a legal case with a suspect facing trial soon and another still at large.

The Rp 35 billion ($3.8 million) scandal is also under the House's investigation, amid allegations that members of the President's inner circle might have been involved.

On complaints at the slow progress in eliminating the territorial structures of the Army, the President cautioned that the policy could backfire unless the nation moved cautiously.

He said the nation could not ignore the reality that the institutions to replace Army commands were not ready. If they were scrapped overnight, it would create even more problems, he added.

"The internal reform in the Indonesian Military and the National Police cannot be carried out drastically to avoid the risk of failure," he said.

The President said he had allowed people in Irian Jaya to raise separatist flags and hold a conference to discuss their independence aspirations "in order to reduce tensions and the potential for violence from spreading in Irian Jaya".

"But if this good gesture is abused by people to further their separatist goals, then the government will not hesitate to ban the hoisting of the flags," he said, stressing that the government was committed to defending Indonesia's territorial integrity.

The President said delays in granting special autonomy status to Irian Jaya and Aceh were largely caused by the fact that the legislations' drafts were being prepared by the legislative councils in the two provinces and not by the central government.

The two drafts had been received and were now being fine-tuned in keeping with the spirit of the unitary state system of government. "The government hoped to present both drafts law to the House of Representatives this very year," he said. (emb/prb)