Once again, openness

As we watched some of our fellow developing countries successfully establish sound democratic systems, any signs of greater political openness at home have been welcomed with open arms.

It is in this receptive spirit that we greet the inaugural speech to President Soeharto's seventh term in office, delivered in Jakarta on Wednesday. Soeharto said he would welcome the support, corrections and supervision of the House of the Representatives (DPR), whose members also sit in the more powerful People's Consultative Assembly (MPR).

The President, absent when his statement of accountability was debated by the MPR, said that he had listened to all the criticism, subtle and veiled or strong and blunt, aired during the MPR General Session with an open mind. This, he said, was because criticism is a valuable input which can be used to improve the government in the next term of office.

These wise words were followed by a claim that: "Corrections will motivate me to review my policies and actions. Supervision will spare me from mistakes. I regard support, correction and supervision as elements that will always reinvigorate a democratic life."

This statement has been welcomed as an encouraging sign that the government will become more receptive to popular opinion in a bid to negotiate the pitfalls of the economic crisis which is gripping the country. Unfortunately the Golkar faction in the Assembly have not yet picked up on the prudence of this move. Many members of the ruling faction heckled and jeered the United Development Party (PPP) spokeswoman as she fulfilled her party's constitutional function by making a speech criticizing some aspects of Soeharto's statement of accountability.

By local standards -- the same standards which the ruling faction are so keen to defend from IMF reform -- this behavior is highly impolite. It brings to mind the words of a well-known American statesman, who said "when political ammunition runs low, inevitably the rusty artillery of abuse is wheeled into action". Furthermore, we are at a loss as to why Golkar legislators, whose chief patron is Soeharto, did not follow his new political stance.

To improve input into, and supervision of, the presidential performance, the Assembly should consider convening more regularly than once every five years. The Constitution stipulates that the MPR must convene at least once every five years, leaving flexibility to introduce a more regular session better suited to the turbulent years ahead and an increased supervisory role. At the very least, an active working body which can handle day-to- day tasks must be set up.

Supervision of the presidency could be further improved by arranging for the accountability address to be delivered to the Assembly which provided the President with a mandate, rather than a freshly elected body as is currently the case. This would also bring the process of accountability closer into line with the spirit of the Constitution.

We welcome the President's new open attitude to criticism and his willingness to be corrected if in error, but we have a long experience in this matter which we can draw upon to qualify our optimism. In the past, the government has made numerous statements professing an open attitude, yet Indonesians still find that many basic freedoms remain curtailed.

Newspapers have been banned and a controversial decree, issued by the minister of information, legitimizing press bans remains in place. This decree directly contradicts the Constitution.

All basic freedoms are interconnected. We hope that the reelected President and his new government will embrace this fundamental notion and use it as the guiding principle of governance to strengthen this great nation.