PPP admits failure in promoting reform
DEPOK, West Java (JP): The United Development Party (PPP) admitted yesterday that it had failed in its campaign for speedy and sweeping reforms during the recent General Session of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR).
PPP executive Jusuf Syakir described in a discussion at the University of Indonesia how puny its 134 members seemed before the 850 members of the dominant Golkar, the Armed Forces and the regional representatives factions in the 1,000-strong Assembly.
The three powerful allies threw their full weight behind the administration's choice for gradual rather than faster-paced reform. The remaining 16 seats are occupied by the tiny Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI).
Jusuf promised, however, the failure would not stop the party from making further efforts to promote political and economic reforms.
"We will keep struggling," Jusuf said.
Jusuf also attributed the failure to what he believed was the loss of courage and outspokenness on the part of the legislative body.
"Courage is the only way to solve the numbness in the People's Consultative Assembly," Jusuf said.
Jusuf said further that the party was not satisfied with the result of the General Session.
The session, which began on March 1 and concluded March 11, returned Soeharto to his seventh consecutive term in office, elected B.J. Habibie as vice president and endorsed the Golkar- sponsored 1998/2003 State Policy Guidelines.
PPP executives were among important newsmakers during the General Session, especially when the Moslem-based party withheld its endorsement of President Soeharto's accountability speech.
The party argued that President Soeharto had failed to give a crystal-clear explanation about issues such as the current economic crisis, poor law enforcement, corruption in the bureaucracy and the painfully slow pace of political change.
PPP spokesman Alfian Darmawan said earlier this month that the party was very surprised to learn that the President did not provide a complete account about basic issues which his government had not properly addressed.
He said the government appeared confused about how the deteriorating economic crisis could be solved.
The rupiah has depreciated more than 70 percent against the U.S. dollar since the economic turmoil began last July, sending countless companies to the brink of bankruptcy and pushing prices sky high.
Skyrocketing prices of essential commodities have sparked food riots in more than 20 towns and cities across the archipelago over the past month. (byg)