Susilo admits huge challenges in graft war

Susilo admits huge challenges in graft war

Agence France-Presse, Jakarta

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono admitted that he faced huge challenges in his aim of defeating rampant corruption but vowed not to let them stand in his way.

"To eradicate corruption, the challenges are enormous and there are those who, frankly speaking, are trying to hinder and cause us to fail but we must march forward," Susilo said without elaborating.

"To build an effective government, we must continue to move ahead," said the president on Saturday, responding to Business Week magazine's latest cover story which ranked him as one of Asia's 25 most influential leaders and innovators.

Susilo was credited for his leadership in handling the tsunami relief operation in Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam, and for his strong commitment in curbing corruption and terrorism in the country.

Since taking office in October 2004, Susilo has launched a crackdown on corruption and stifling bureaucracy to lure foreign investment back to Indonesia.

Lack of overseas cash has left the world's fourth most populous nation with crumbling infrastructure and has hampered attempts by Southeast Asia's largest economy to shake off the affects of the Asian financial crisis that started in 1997.

Indonesia's newly established anticorruption court revealed last month that the jailed former governor of tsunami-hit province of Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam had offered Rp 250 million (US$25,800) as a bribe to a court clerk.

Last week Abdullah Puteh was taken to jail by force to serve a 10-year sentence for graft despite his claim that he was too sick.

Police last month held former religious affairs minister Said Agil Munawwar as a suspect in a possible scam involving misuse of $71.2 million in cash collected from Muslims making the haj pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia.