VP Center and UN troops

VP Center and UN troops

From Media Indonesia

The establishment of the Vice President Center is to me
surprising and confusing, though I appreciate the attitude of
Vice President Hamzah Haz, who has responded to public criticism
and expressed his readiness to dissolve the center if requested
by the President.

Former president Soeharto set up various foundations to
procure funds from businessmen and civil servants, and these
institutions were finally subjected to legal recourse. He also
gathered dozens of tycoons in Jimbaran, Bali, to raise tens of
billions of rupiah, which eventually ended up fulfilling the
entrepreneurs' demand for facilities.

Now with the VP Center, I would like to suggest that this body
be disbanded before negative developments follow. Moreover, the
government is already determined to eliminate non-budgetary
funds, so fund raising for the budget should be left to the
Ministry of Finance.

In a separate issue, the United States is seeking the United
Nations to dispatch its security forces to Iraq to replace the
U.S.-British coalition forces in that country, which is now
plagued by revolts against these invaders. Minister of Foreign
Affairs Hassan Wirayuda said Indonesia would consider sending its
troops if requested. In my view, we should not join the UN peace
keepers because of the great political and military risks
involved.

M. AMINUDIN
Depok, West Java