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)