Susilo declares war on corruption

Susilo declares war on corruption

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono declared a national action
plan against corruption on Thursday, urging all state officials
to avoid family businesses and to ensure transparency in all
state affairs.

On the same day, the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK)
signed an agreement with all 33 provincial governors, under which
they pledged to report their wealth and support the commission's
efforts to curb corrupt practices in their regions.

"The level of corruption in our country is very alarming, and
I urge every state official to lead by example in fighting
corruption. We have to learn to be fair, honest and transparent
in every action," Susilo said in his 45-minute speech marking the
beginning of the nation-wide anti-corruption drive.

The country's national anti-corruption plan was spelled out in
Presidential Instruction No. 5/2004 issued by the International
Anti-Corruption Movement on Thursday.

Eradicating corruption has been Susilo's driving theme since
the presidential election campaigns, and since taking office on
Oct. 20, he has been trying to demonstrate his commitment to this
endeavor.

The first major case was the recent detention of Aceh Governor
Abdullah Puteh by the KPK. The President has agreed to suspend
Puteh as soon as he sits as a defendant in court.

KPK chairman Taufiqurrahman Ruki said at the ceremony that
the KPK had asked the President to suspend every state official
as soon as they had been declared as suspects in any corruption
case.

"We have all the legal weapons needed to end corrupt practices
and we urge the President to suspend state officials who have
been declared suspects in corruption cases," Taufiqurrahman said.

In his speech, Susilo underlined that his government would go
all out in fighting corrupt practices and support every effort of
the KPK.

Chairman of the Indonesian Transparency Societies (MTI)
Sudirman Said, however, said that the President's tough words
must be followed with concrete actions before the public became
disillusioned with his anti-corruption initiatives.

"Every statement that the President has made is good, but it
must be followed up with radical action against corruption as the
public are skeptical about these big words," Sudirman said after
attending the ceremony.

Meanwhile, Presidential Spokesman Andi Mallarangeng said that
Susilo had just signed letters allowing police and prosecutors to
question two governors, six House of Representatives members,
four regents and two mayors.

The two governors were Banten's Djoko Munandar and West Nusa
Tenggara's Lalu Serinata, legislators Zubair Nawawi, Faqih
Chaeroni, Adi Warsita, Toifur, Dharmono Lawi and Ahmad Dahroni,
regents of Kupang, Rote, South Barito, and Muara Enim and the
mayors of Bengkulu and Singkawang.

Highlights of Presidential Instruction No. 5/2004

1. All state officials must report their wealth to the KPK
immediately

2. Promotes transparency in public services to avoid illegal fees

3. Promotes the practice of "modest living" in all circumstances

4. Reviews the feasibility of trying out an e-procurement system
that can be used collectively by state agencies.

5. Draws up national action plans to combat corruption for the
2004-2009 period

7. Optimizes investigation and prosecution of corruption cases to
convict culprits and save state money.

8. Prevents and provides stern sanctions for abuse of power by
prosecutors and police officers to assure law enforcement.