Minister Kwik comes to Megawati's defense

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

State Minister for National Development Planning Kwik Kian Gie slammed President Megawati Soekarnoputri's critics, whom he said had excessively and disproportionately criticized the President and her one-year government.

Kwik argued that Megawati had really achieved something for the nation over the last one year.

"It would be better for all sides, especially the President's critics, to study more about the government's policies and programs before they level their criticisms. It is not fair and is unethical to criticize without good grounds," he said.

Kwik, who himself has criticized Megawati's policies several times, pointed out that Megawati had defects in at least 13 areas, including her weak leadership and her controversial moves to block reform.

He said, however, that since the first day she had came to power Megawati has always given clear instructions and directions as to what her aides should do, and all decisions were made with her knowledge.

"The President always gives us the necessary directions, and all regulations and decrees are issued after going through wide- ranging process of discussion with her aides," Kwik claimed.

He was referring to Vice President Hamzah Haz's statement on Monday that the President should give clear directions and instructions to ministers before they made decisions.

"If sometimes the Cabinet ministers have had differences of opinion, blame me and not the President because it was only me who had dissenting views on certain economic issues," he remarked.

Kwik, who is also chairman of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle's development and research center, defended Megawati's support for Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso's bid for a second term. He said that the President had her own reasons for the controversial policy.

"Megawati will end her tenure within one-and-a-half years, so she considers it better to retain Sutiyoso, who knows well what she wants him to do.

"Although I admit that it could be a foolish move to go against the people's political wishes," the minister added.

Kwik said further that Megawati, in her capacity as PDI Perjuangan chairwoman, had received from the party's congress a mandate to do whatever she wanted to, including supporting Sutiyoso.

Kwik also said that so far there had been no indication at all that Megawati was extending privileges to her relatives and associates, or was trying to set herself up as a dictator.

"I don't understand why there is such huge anti-Megawati sentiment except that, from what I can see, this sentiment is being orchestrated by certain vested interests," he said without elaborating.