MPR told to promote reform agenda

Abu Hanifah, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The ongoing People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) session should put the reform agenda back on track, political observers say.

Denny J.A. said that, three years on from the end of the authoritarian New Order government of president Soeharto, the political elite was forgetting the reform agenda.

"The reform movement is going nowhere at the moment. The Assembly will have to revive its spirit or lose public trust," Denny said in a seminar on Wednesday.

The 10-day session should come up with a grand design on how to promote reform and democracy. At present, the reform agenda had been derailed by the protracted conflict between the government and the legislative body, he said.

"What could be better than to produce a strategic plan to promote reform, stability and democracy," Denny said. "The ongoing annual session should act as a good catalyst."

The reform campaign began following the fall of president Soeharto in May, 1998. Many of the campaigners, such as Assembly Speaker Amien Rais, belong to the legislative bodies.

Critics say that those claiming to be reformists do not have a clear agenda and are instead busy fighting for their personal interests.

"Well-planned reform needs strong institutional support, something that Indonesia is yet to establish," Denny said.

Satya Arinanto, a constitutional expert from the University of Indonesia, said that the most fundamental institutional reforms would require amending the constitution.

However, only if the constitutional amendments involved public participation would reform live up to people's expectations.

The session is scheduled to discuss constitutional amendments albeit with little public participation. Assembly leaders have rejected demands for an independent constitutional commission.