Talk of reform confuses people, Alwi says

JAKARTA (JP): Assembly member Alwi Dahlan said the ongoing discourse about political reform confused the public as many speakers did not always know what they were talking about.

Antara quoted the Golkar representative and chairman of BP7, the agency for the study of the state ideology Pancasila, as saying Saturday that it would be better if people used the term "improvements" rather than reform.

He said reform was actually something that had been implemented in Indonesian politics all along.

"The reform, in relation to the demand for political reform recently heard, is a vague term, difficult to understand, and confuses the public in general."

He pointed out that the demand for better organized general elections in order to produced better legislators was actually an "ordinary thing".

He conceded that many people felt queasy when they heard the term "political reform" because it implied fundamental and radical change to the structure of Indonesian politics.

"It is difficult to imagine what could happen if people demanded total reform in the sense of overhauling the 1945 Constitution and Pancasila.

"Reform can be applied in economics but would (cause) a different (image) than when it is linked with politics.

"Rather than saying reform, why don't we just ask for improvement," he said. "Or, as President Soeharto said, 'correction'... which means putting in order things that we have agreed upon before but which have not been implemented suitably."

The ongoing General Session of the People's Consultative Assembly began on March 1 amid growing calls for political and economic reform.

Students and intellectuals are leading demonstrations which demand an immediate solution to the economic crisis and a better political situation, including a succession in the national leadership.

In Yogyakarta, Moslem scholar Amien Rais said the economic reform that the ruling Golkar declared it was seeking would be meaningless if it was not accompanied by political reform.

"Economic reform without political reform is nonsense," Amien said in response to some Golkar leaders' assertion that they would only seek gradual, rather than radical, reform.

Amien said in front of some 3,000 students and lecturers of Gadjah Mada University saying their Friday prayers, that Indonesian people needed political reform and new leaders. He contradicted those who said that Soeharto's reelection would mean an economic recovery.

He reminded the congregation, however, that the expected duet of Soeharto and B.J. Habibie at the Indonesian helm during the 1998/2003 term should be given a chance.

"Should they, after a period of, say, six months, fail to heal Indonesia's economy, then we should demand their accountability," he said.

He also called on the powerful Armed Forces to continue to side with the people, and to heed the growing calls for change. (23/swe)