UI recommends reform program to government

UI recommends reform program to government

JAKARTA (JP): A symposium organized by the University of
Indonesia concluded with a recommendation that the government
carry out short and long-term programs of reform in the economy,
and in political and legal fields to help defuse the economic
crisis.

The university rector, Prof. Asman Boedisantoso Ranakoesoema,
said in a press briefing in Depok yesterday that the symposium
organizing committee had written out a comprehensive conclusion
to the four-day meeting which it would pass on to the government
to help solve the crisis.

"The recommendations can be used as an alternative set of
reforms for the government to carry out, or they can be used as a
source of reference for future development policy and planning in
the future," he said.

He declined to reveal exactly what was stated in the
recommendations, saying "it would be unethical to do so before
they had been passed on to the government."

The symposium drew together numerous experts from the
university to intensively discuss what reforms were required to
end the economic and political crises.

Speakers at the four-day meeting, which came to an end on
Thursday, included legal experts Prof. Ismail Sunny, Prof. Harun
Alrasyid and Zen Umar Purba; political and human rights experts
Prof. Miriam Budiardjo, Prof. Maswardi Rauf and Dr. Todung Mulya
Lubis; and economic experts Prof. Sri Edi Swasono and Dr. Anwar
Nasution.

Boedisantoso said the symposium reflected the university's
deep concern over the national crisis, but had nothing to do with
the students movement.

Asked about the proposed dialog between students and President
Soeharto, he said such a move would not bring an end to the
monetary crisis. Besides, "it's the students' intellectual right
to hold dialog with the government," he added.

Proposals

Boedisantoso said the university would propose three main
short-term reforms which it believed would help the government
defuse the immediate impact of the crisis.

"The government must quickly and effectively tackle increasing
poverty, continue to provide food subsidies, and adopt an
integrated policy covering the rupiah exchange rate, banking
reform and private sector foreign debt," he said.

The rector, accompanied by Miriam, Budiardjo, Zen Umar Purba
and Anwar Nasution, said the university would also make a list of
long-term reforms which the government must carry out.

In the political field, Miriam said, the House of
Representatives (DPR) and the People's Consultative Assembly
(MPR) should be empowered so they participate effectively in
efforts to create clean governance.

She also said judicial review tasks, currently the legislative
body's responsibility, should be given to the Supreme Court.

"A powerful state institution like the Supreme Court should be
able to work without any interference from the government," she
said.

She also urged the government to ratify international human
rights conventions and declarations, and to respect people's
political and economic rights.

Anwar Nasution said that beside the short-term program, the
government should gradually introduce long-term economic reforms
to restore public confidence in the government.

"Besides improving efficiency and economic policy, the
government should continue to boost non-oil exports, improve the
quality of exports, create more job opportunities and improve the
rupiah exchange rate, if it wants to regain domestic and
international confidence," he said.

He said Indonesia had economic potential, but was losing
domestic and international trust, arguing that recent panic
buying provided ample evidence of this worrying phenomenon.

Zen Umar Purba said the government should consistently enforce
the law, revitalize the court system and introduce new laws to
end the crisis of confidence in the legal field.

"Indonesian People and the international community, especially
foreign investors, want consistent and fair law enforcement in
this country," he said.

He hailed Minister of Justice Muladi's endeavors to revitalize
the court system, and said the supremacy of law should be upheld
and respected.

"A good court system not only provides a legal guarantee to
people seeking justice, but reflects a clean and honest
government," he said.

He said many laws were still needed to replace old laws dating
to the colonial era. (rms)