Political parties 'vie to control state assets'

JAKARTA (JP): Analysts noted on Tuesday the struggle between political parties to control state assets, warning this situation could perpetuate corruption in the government.

Economist Faisal Basri said there were indications ministers were vying to control lucrative state companies and agencies for the benefit of their respective parties.

"We're seeing here efforts to mobilize resources for the next general election in 2004," Faisal said in a debate on corruption, collusion and nepotism organized by the Ministry of Forestry and Plantation.

He cited, for example, the recent row between State Minister of Investment/State Enterprises Development Laksamana Sukardi with finance minister Bambang Sudibyo over authority over state- owned banks.

The row resulted in President Abdurrahman Wahid issuing two conflicting governmental regulations within five days.

Governmental regulation No. 96/1999, issued on Dec. 22, handed over the authority to supervise all state enterprises to Laksamana, but was revoked five days later with the issuance of governmental regulation No. 98/1999 that put the state banks under the supervision of Bambang.

It was reported that Bambang lobbied the President to revoke the first governmental regulation.

Laksamana is from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-Perjuangan), while Bambang is from the National Mandate Party (PAN).

A similar row occurred between Minister of Agriculture Mohammad Prakosa and Minister of Forestry and Plantation Nur Mahmudi Ismail, who are from the PDI-Perjuangan and the Justice Party respectively.

The President issued decree No. 72 on Dec. 22, transferring the directorate general of plantations to the Ministry of Agriculture, but five days after he issued another decree, No. 175, returning the directorate general to the Ministry of Forestry.

Faisal said the cases showed there was a rift in the current Cabinet.

"Corruption in ministries is now tending to become the organized crimes of politicians," he said.

He said during former president Soeharto's regime, corruption, collusion and nepotism benefited the businesses of Soeharto's family and cronies.

Now the motives had changed, he said, with party loyalties motivating ministers to abuse their authority.

Even during the administration of Soeharto's successor, B.J. Habibie, ministries became tools for ruling politicians to win votes at election time, Faisal said.

He alleged the former minister of forestry and plantations, Muslimin Nasution, distributed forest concessions to Islamic boarding schools and universities in a bid to gain their support for Habibie.

He said similar moves had been detected in ministries run by the present Cabinet.

As President Abdurrahman himself indicated during the inauguration of his Cabinet, the line up of ministers represented a compromise of the various political interests that brought him to the presidency, Faisal said.

Faisal suggested a Cabinet reshuffle, saying the present Cabinet showed no teamwork.

"If this goes on, we'll find ourselves with organized crimes by politicians," he said on the sidelines of the debate.

Coordinator of Indonesian Corruption Watch (ICW) Teten Masduki agreed with Faisal that some politicians had already committed crimes by securing state assets for the benefit of their respective parties.

"To achieve a political goal, a politician should buy up other politicians and law enforcers, and become a large party contributor," Teten quipped. (03)