Soeharto hailed over stance on criticism

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)