Reformist parties urged to share an economic platform

Reformist parties urged to share an economic platform

JAKARTA (JP): Noted economist Emil Salim urged a trio of major
"reformist" political parties on Tuesday to form a common
economic platform to help solve the country's economic problems.

Emil said that the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle
(PDI Perjuangan), the National Awakening Party (PKB) and the
National Mandate Party (PAN) should create the shared platform as
a guideline for a new coalition government.

"Since PDI Perjuangan led in the (June 7) elections, it should
be the one who's proactive in talking to PKB and PAN," he told a
seminar on the economic platforms of the three political parties.
It was organized by prestigious think tank the Center for
Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).

He described it as a realistic suggestion since the major
economic programs of the three parties were mostly similar.

Emil, one of the country's economic architects during the
golden era of the ruling Golkar Party, noted the three parties
were not against the market economy.

"The three also consider the important role of the government
to provide a level playing field for the business sector, and are
committed to developing provincial economies," said the U.S.-
trained economist.

PDI Perjuangan, PKB and PAN, part of the country's top five
political parties, are regarded as the true reformist parties and
the most serious challengers to the long rule of the Golkar
Party, the political vehicle of the Soeharto government.

Although PDI-P won 33.7 percent of the June legislative
elections, the party did not gain enough votes to form a single-
majority government.

Uncertainty over the next leadership has fanned increasing
calls for the three parties to form a coalition and shut out a
the possible return of Golkar to power.

Economists from the three reformist political parties welcome
Emil's suggestion.

"The suggestion of Pak Emil is not something impossible to
realize," said S.G.B. Tampubolon, a PDI Perjuangan economic
adviser.

"Three heads are better than one."

He said that he would recommend that his party immediately
hold discussions with the economic teams of PKB and PAN.

"But I'm not in a capacity to answer the question whether
we're going to form a coalition, although I personally believe
that it would be a good thing because who else could we talk to?"

Yusuf Faishal, head of PKB's economic department, agreed that
the economic programs proposed by the three parties were
relatively similar.

After speaking in seminars with economists from the other two
parties in recent months, he noted a seeming convergence in their
programs.

"It's no longer clear who's duplicating whose programs," he
said.

PAN secretary-general Faisal Basri said that the prospect of
forming a common economic platform was strong enough because the
country's major political parties often met to discuss various
issues.

The country has been battered by the economic crisis which
started in July 1997. The economy contracted by 13.68 percent
last year, putting millions of people out of work and
increasing the number of Indonesians living below the poverty
line.

The government adopted economic programs sponsored by the
International Monetary Fund (IMF) in an effort to right its
economic problems.

Several economists have said a new government might demand the
tough economic programs be renegotiated with the IMF.

The presidential election is scheduled for November. PDI
Perjuangan chairwoman Megawati Sukarnoputri and incumbent
President B.J. Habibie, who is supported by Golkar, are the
leading contenders. (rei)