Stay home, Mrs. President

President Megawati Soekarnoputri is planning more elaborate trips abroad, including one to Mexico to attend the APEC summit later this month and another to attend the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in Cambodia on Nov. 2 to Nov. 5. Given the critical domestic situation after the tragic Bali bombing, however, we strongly suggest that she remain in Indonesia.

With the possible exception of the ASEAN summit in Phnom Penh in early November, there are a number of problems here at home that more urgently require her attention, such as following up on the decision to introduce tighter coordination of the intelligence services. As we have noted, the Bali disaster is one indication of failure within the state's intelligence network. The President's presence in Jakarta is required to continuously prod the various government agencies assigned to finding the perpetrators of the Bali bombing and bring them to justice.

With graft allegations being leveled at the attorney general, the question of appointing a new attorney general naturally becomes more pressing. After all, how can the issue of terrorism be intensely pursued if the Attorney General's Office is burdened with damaging allegations?

However, the most pressing task that requires the presence of President Megawati is the rehabilitation of Bali in the wake of the Oct. 12 tragedy. Certainly the devastated area needs to be reconstructed as soon as possible and bank loans with easy terms should be provided to the shopkeepers whose business premises are now in ruins. But most important of all, the cohesion of the fractured Balinese community needs to be restored since the traumatic experience of last Saturday night has caused friction and created an atmosphere of suspicion that must not be allowed to fester.

We are certain that several visits to Bali by the President in the wake of the Oct. 12 tragedy are required. This rehabilitation process will be of significant help in convincing the world that the healing capacity of the Indonesian political scene is still intact. We therefore believe that the presence of the President at home is urgently required.