Officials: RI lacks proffesional, wise administrators
Officials: RI lacks proffesional, wise administrators
JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia needs a professional and wise leader
to run the administration and help end the political and economic
crises, politicians and historians said.
Sutradara Gintings, a legislator from the Justice and Unity
Party (PKP), said both President Abdurrahman Wahid and Vice
President Megawati Soekarnoputri lacked the skills to run the
administration.
"With all respect to the two national leaders, they do not
have the skill to run the administration. We need an
administrator who is professional in running the administration
and wise in making policies," Sutradara said during a seminar on
national reconciliation held here on Saturday.
"He or she could be appointed as first minister or some other
position," Sutradara said, adding that Abdurrahman and Megawati
were widely seen as symbols of national unity with little
administrative capacity.
He warned the political situation would remain instable and
the economy would remain stagnant if the nation failed to appoint
a professional and wise leader to run the administration.
Anhar Gonggong, an historian from the University of Indonesia,
concurred, saying Indonesia needed a brave and wise leader to
resolve the threat of disintegration.
"We now need a national leader who has a strong commitment to
enforcing the law in order to restore order and security and to
end the political instability.
"That person must have the professionalism to run the
administration and help defuse the economic crisis," he said.
Having adopted the presidential, not parliamentary, system,
Indonesia does not recognize prime minister as the head of
government. During the first years of their independence,
however, Indonesians gave the executive jobs to a prime minister.
Delegate
Earlier, Golkar Party chairman Akbar Tandjung suggested if the
President felt overburdened he could delegate some of his daily
responsibilities to Vice President Megawati Soekarnoputri.
Akbar, who is also the speaker of the House of
Representatives, said the President could concentrate on state
affairs while the Vice President handled routine governmental
affairs, which would allow for the establishment of improved
management.
Emphasizing that he was speaking in his capacity as Golkar
chief, Akbar, however, said on Friday the President should retain
his role as the country's leader and Megawati must consult with
him before taking major policy decisions.
The Vice President is only authorized to decide on technical
matters after making all necessary consultations with Cabinet
members, he said.
He said delegating some authority to the Vice President would
be a better option than appointing a prime minister.
"We from Golkar Party expect an improvement in our
government's management, especially in the President's manner of
managing the government," Akbar said.
According to the 1945 Constitution, the task of the vice
president is to assist the president in his or her daily duties.
The vice president also will take over the presidential post for
the remainder of the five-year term if the president dies,
resigns or is unable to carry out his or her duties
Akbar said the issue of managing the government was discussed
during last week's Golkar leadership meeting in Jakarta.
(jun/rms/prb)