Mistakes and weaknesses

The economic crisis has opened our eyes to the mistakes and weaknesses we have experienced so far. Mistakes that have led us to the present crisis. It is necessary for us to have the courage to acknowledge honestly our failures, that we may evaluate and re-evaluate our mistakes, weaknesses and strengths to enable us to address the problems correctly.

We have been in the crisis now for almost nine months. We seem to be in deep unending economic turmoil, unfortunately without any signs yet as to what we have significantly done up to now to improve the ailing condition of our economy.

Prime Minister Chuan Leek Pai of Thailand came here to tell President Soeharto to adhere to and implement diligently the IMF package of economic reforms. By doing this itself, Thailand has been able to move beyond its economic crisis. Let us try to see what some of our major mistakes were in order that we may do the needed reforms correctly:

1. Politics have played a dominant role in almost every aspect of our lives for the last three decades. Politics seem to have been our main concern, as almost everything is measured against it.

2. The pattern of our economic development has made only a select few pillars of the economy and is obviously a politically motivated decision. Monopolies are abundant here.

3. It is questionable if we have deviated from the 1945 Constitution by not developing the economy in line with article 33. There have been no serious and significant efforts to develop cooperatives. Indeed, we have been drifting away to unavoidable liberalism.

4. No conceptual and serious effort has been made to significantly raise the economic position of the majority of the people, something which has been achieved by our neighbor, Malaysia.

5. Neofeudalism has been developing to frightening effects in the bureaucracy, as well as in society. The people are mostly regarded as objects instead of subjects of the development.

6. The power of the ruling elite overwhelms the power of the law.

7. A top-down process dominates our governance, while a bottom-up process is taboo.

8. The House of Representative and The People's Consultative Assembly are mostly the tool of the ruling elite.

The following is a list of some of our weaknesses:

1. Power concentration and centralization leads to many abuses of power.

2. The ruling elite's arrogance and self-righteousness.

3. Rampant collusion and corruption.

4. Moral decadence, shameless culture, hedonism, a materialistic and self-centered attitude, lack of honesty, lack of fairness, pseudo justice, etc., have been prevalent.

5. A lack of transparency that may be interpreted as covering up something fishy.

6. Lack of discipline and low productivity.

7. Law disobedience.

8. Being permissive (only to play safe) and showing preference for self-rescue or safe-play.

9. Inconsistency in many aspects of life (in lawmaking and decisionmaking).

10. Lack of respect and concerns for one's obligations and other's rights.

The list seems endless, so there is no point in mentioning them all. I hope that the present government will be able to do much on the awaited reforms.

H.W. PIENANDORO

Bogor, West Java