Soeharto's accountability speech accepted

JAKARTA (JP): Another resounding approval for President Soeharto's statesmanship was voiced yesterday by the People's Consultative Assembly when it approved his account of his leadership of the country for the past five years.

The decision to accept the account was reached, however, after initial discontent from the minority factions -- the United Development Party (PPP) and Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) -- over what they saw as a lack of political and bureaucratic reforms.

Ida Bagus Oka, who heads Assembly Commission C in charge of studying the presidential accountability speech, said that all of the five factions completely accepted Soeharto's report on his administration delivered on the opening day of the Assembly's five-yearly congress on March 1.

The approval was adopted as an Assembly decree in a plenary session last night.

The decree, one of four rulings passed by the Assembly yesterday, says: "Indonesian people praise God for the wise leadership and statesmanship of Grand Gen. (ret) Soeharto... to safeguard, enforce and implement the state ideology Pancasila and the 1945 Constitution in their purity."

It recognizes the success of Soeharto, who has been in power since 1966, in improving people's welfare, developing educated and economically equal people, and expanding Indonesia's role in the international community.

"(Therefore) Indonesian people with all their heart have expressed their wish to have Grand Gen. (ret) Soeharto elected as the president for the 1998/2003 term," it says.

Oka, who is also governor of Bali, said that despite their endorsement, the five factions demanded continuation of poverty alleviation programs and improvement of the country's political culture and legal system.

The factions also urged the government to promote social solidarity among people, without having to rely on charity programs, according to Oka.

But while the four factions said they "fully or totally approve" the speech, PPP said it "can approve" it.

PPP broke the long-held convention of uniform opinion last Wednesday when it delayed accepting Soeharto's accountability even though the other factions gave him two thumbs up and made an early announcement of their renomination of the 76-year-old president.

The Moslem-based PPP faction unveiled yesterday seven points of economic and political reforms to be entrusted to the next administration, including prompt settlement of the monetary crisis now blighting the country and consistent efforts to combat corruption, collusion and monopolies.

Regarding political reform, PPP wanted the government to consider revoking the controversial political laws passed in 1985.

PDI shared its fellow minority faction's view on political improvement, saying that such reform would help the country emerge from economic adversity.

It also said that a possible unemployment explosion as a result of the protracted crisis would serve as the toughest challenge for the next government. (imn/amd)