Thu, 10 Aug 2000

President's progress report

It is interesting to observe the opinions that members of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) have expressed about the President's progress report on Aug. 7, 2000, which was read by the cabinet secretary, particularly because to some MPR members this report is normative and qualitative and is, therefore, unsatisfactory. According to the honorable MPR members, a progress report must contain figures, or, in other words, be quantitative so that it can be measured and compared clearly and objectively.

Irrespective of whether figures are found in the attachment to the report, it is obvious that the President's progress report was made on the basis of and with reference to the broad outlines of the state's policy. Therefore, the criteria for evaluating the report must be also be those based and referring to the 1999-2004 outlines of the state's policy, which is normative and qualitative in substance. Therefore, it is not in place on the part of the honorable members of the MPR to demand that the President's progress report should neither be normative nor qualitative. It must be borne in mind that the outlines of the state's policy must serve as a common yardstick.

As a matter of fact, an evaluation of the President's progress report must be based on the implementation of the Annual Development Plan (Repeta) in particular and the Five-Year National Development Program (Propenas) in general. It must be noted, however, that the Propenas and the Repeta have been stipulated by the President along with the House of Representatives (DPR) (I emphasize the words "along with"). Therefore, if the Repeta/Propenas are made the basis of the evaluation, the DPR must also be held accountable for the progress (or setback) made by the President. Or, in other words, in the Annual Session of the MPR, the DPR must institutionally share the responsibility for the acceptance or rejection of the progress report of the President. As mentioned earlier, the DPR is also a party in the drawing up of the Repeta/Propenas (with the President being another party) and is assigned the task of supervising its implementation.

AMIR KARAMOY

Jakarta