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.