President adamant he is fully in charge
President adamant he is fully in charge
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono responded to critics who claim he is indecisive by pointing to a number of prompt decisions he has made in the course of his presidency in the last 10 months.
Speaking to a forum of Asian and European editors in Jakarta, the President pointed to the unpopular decision to increase fuel prices in March and the rapid response to the deadly tsunami in Aceh in December as cases in point when he made snap or tough decisions.
The topic of his presidency perhaps lacking decisiveness had been brought by one of the editors present. The forum was jointly organized by the Konrad Adenauer Foundation office in Singapore and The Jakarta Post.
Critics of the President pointed out at the government's reluctance to raise domestic fuel prices even though world oil prices had, on the first morning of the forum, hit $68 a barrel as the latest example of his lack of decisiveness in running the government.
"I don't make decisions upon getting up from bed," he said. "Sometimes I do, when I have to."
But some things have to be consulted with the Cabinet, the House of Representatives and even with the public before a decision is made, he said.
It is rare for the President to address so many editors from Asia and Europe, but an occasion which he readily admitted gave him with the chance to speak to a large audience from two continents.
The 40 editors taking part represent a combination of more than 10 million newspaper editions per day, with a readership estimated at 30 million.
The President took 12 questions during the question-and-answer session that followed his brief speech. The questions ranged from his handling of the economy and challenges in rising world oil prices, to terrorism, Islam and public perception of his presidency.
The President had been invited to address the forum on his report card of the first 10 month of his presidency.
"Well, in all honesty, I think it is you who will have to write that report card on me," he said.
"My only hope is that as you write my report card, it is good enough so that you won't have to ask me to stand in the corner" he said, referring to an old practice at schools where those with poor report cards were sent by the teacher to stand in the corner of the classroom for hours.