Soeharto hailed over stance on criticism

JAKARTA (JP): President Soeharto's reassurance that he is open to criticism received an enthusiastic response from legislators and observers alike yesterday.

But legislators of the House of Representatives, a body often sneered at as a rubber-stamp institution that lacks the courage to criticize the government, refused to say if the President's statement would change their stature.

Soeharto said in his inaugural speech that he needed support, criticism and supervision from the legislature in the future.

"I have fully and broad-mindedly listened to all subtle and veiled or strong, blunt, criticisms... These criticisms constitute valuable inputs for the improvement of my government in the coming years," he said.

Legislator Ekky Syachruddin from the government-backed Golkar faction said that House members should see the President's statement as a chance to improve their supervisory duties.

In his speech, Soeharto made it clear that he expected criticism "from the House of Representatives", whose members are also members of the 1,000-strong Assembly.

He made no mention if he was also open to criticism from the public at large.

"Pak (Mr.) Harto's statement should also serve as criticism for House members who often fail to respond to people's wishes," Ekky said.

Non-governmental organization activists complain the government is intolerant of criticism, as is obvious from the arrest and prosecution of numerous people critical of its policies.

Buttu Hutapea, an Assembly member from the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI), said that the President's statement was natural because Soeharto needed people's support.

He said that legislators should not waste their chance and improve their supervision of the bureaucracy.

"Polite criticisms would be more effective than blunt ones," he said.

H.J. Naro, a former United Development Party (PPP) chief who attended the Assembly meetings as an observer, said that Soeharto's promises would have far-reaching consequences.

Standards

The President, his cabinet ministers and all government officials should be tolerant of criticism and the House should improve its standards, he said.

PPP leader Ismail Hasan Metareum praised Soeharto's pledge to be open to criticism, saying that it should apply in the policy- making process of the incoming administration.

He said the statement proved Soeharto was determined to be more open, particularly at a time when Indonesia was coping with its toughest economic hardships of the last 30 years.

"As a party chairman I fully support all the Assembly's decisions and suggest he (Soeharto) sets all doubts aside when taking steps," Ismail said.

The head of the Supreme Advisory Council, Sudomo, highlighted the need to beef up the House's control of the government.

"The House should make use of its constitutional rights to check the government, although the legislative body cannot take any punitive measures against the government," Sudomo said.

Sudomo said that the rights allowed the House to maintain the government's allegiance to the State Policy Guidelines, push for efficient government programs and take corrective measures against the executive branch.

Constitutional law expert Yusril Ihza Mahendra and political scientist Sofian Effendi echoed Sudomo's view of further empowering the legislative body.

"The House's criticism will prevent the government from making repeated mistakes and furthermore contribute to the government's policy formulation," Sofian said.

Sofian said there were many government policies that did not fit with the public's expectations due to the lack of open criticism, including the decision to launch a liberal banking system in the late 1980s.

"The government is now paying dearly for its liberalization of the banking sector," he said, referring to the government's decision to shut down 16 banks last year and apply further strict monetary policies.

Yusril said the House needed the courage to exercise its controlling power, mainly because it had confined itself in the past with restrictive internal rules.

"People now want to see a more powerful House to make amends for the economic adversity they are suffering. If there are no improvements in either political or economic fields, the people will be left hopeless," said Yusril, a lecturer at the University of Indonesia. (team)