President's performance gets failing grade

President's performance gets failing grade

JAKARTA (JP): Major factions at the House of Representatives
(DPR) expressed on Monday their disappointment over President
Abdurrahman Wahid's performance, especially his controversial
statements, in the last three months after the House issued the
first memorandum of censure against the embattled President.

The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan)
faction in their general evaluation of Abdurrahman's performance
underlined that the President's attitudes, policies and
statements were closely related to his response to the first
memorandum.

"We strongly regret the President's remarks claiming that
there would be a national rebellion following the issuance of the
second memorandum and that five regions would separate from the
country if he resigned," spokeswoman of the PDI Perjuangan
faction Dwi Ria Latifa said.

The faction noted that according to the presidential oath
stipulated in Article 9 of the 1945 Constitution, the president
will maintain the unity of the country and not provoke
separation.

"The (President's) statement was totally in contradiction with
his obligation to maintain the country's unity and protect all
Indonesian citizens," she said, adding that the faction also
doubted the intention of the President to really eradicate
corruption in the country.

The faction also called on the country to concentrate on
efforts to settle the current crisis without further jeopardizing
the country's interests.

"It will be only fair to return honor and justice to the one
who had the constitutional right with truthfulness and common
sense," Latifa said, while referring to her party which won the
last general election in 1999.

Golkar Party faction, in its general view read out by
legislator Ibnu Munzir, also underlined that the President's
remarks in the past three months were "controversial and
provoking anarchy among the people".

"At the same time, we see continuing riots that have
threatened the unity of the country on a more massive scale ...
while one of the President's obligations is to protect the
nation," Ibnu told the session.

He said Golkar doubted the President's intention to eliminate
corruption as many of the corruption cases remained unsettled.

The United Development Party (PPP) faction shared the same
opinion as the first two factions, saying that the government had
yet to make substantial changes in its administrative management.

"The President has wasted a golden opportunity in the last
three months to improve the performance of his government after
the issuance of the first memorandum," PPP faction spokesman
Sukardi Harun said in the session.

Apart from the three largest factions in the House, the
Indonesian Military (TNI)/Police faction chose not to join the
chorus, but asked the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) to
settle the ongoing political crisis.

Previously, the TNI/Police faction joined the major House
factions when they issued the first memorandum against the
President on Feb. 1.

Spokesman of the faction Ronggo Soenarso said the issuance of
the first memorandum had incited conflicts of interest in the
House which was followed by physical conflict among the populace.

"In an effort to end the (political) crisis, we think that all
parties should end conflict and engage in dialog," Soenarso said,
while adding that if dialog cannot settle the current political
crisis, the People's Consultative Assembly should find the
solution to it.

The faction cited that many parties in the country had
violated democratic political norms. He urged that all political
maneuvers and decisions should be taken while keeping in mind the
country's interests.

Meanwhile, opposition to the issuance of the second memorandum
was raised by the National Awakening Party (PKB) faction and the
Love the Nation Democratic Party (PDKB), the two parties which
also rejected the issuance of the first memorandum. (dja/rms)