What prospects for the future?

What prospects for the future?

Over the past 15 months, President B.J. Habibie's government
has not only failed to carry out the most urgent points on its
agenda, it also created new problems such as the Bank Bali
scandal. This is creating grave doubts among investors planning
to resume their activities in Indonesia.

With all due respect for the positive steps which President
Habibie has taken, his failings in terms of leadership and
managerial savvy are just to plain for anyone to see. Take for
example the handling of the planned legislation on oil and
natural gas. How can a conflict of views on this subject between
the Minister of Mines and Energy, Kuntoro Mangkusubroto, and the
principal director of the state oil company Pertmina, Martiono
Hadianto, possibly be allowed to break into the open? And not
only that. The conflict is left to drag on for so long it is
inconceivable that Habibie has not been able to overcome the
problem.

The various cases that have occurred have naturally eroded the
trust of the Indonesian public as well as that of the
international community in the government's capabilities. As the
world economy is growing more and more into an integrated whole,
our dependence on others is also growing. Allowing the situation
to continue to drift in uncertainty could cause our national
economy to become isolated, which would mean we would have to
make even greater sacrifices.

The establishment of a stable and credible government which
knows what has to be done is an absolute necessity. Without being
partial, we urge our legislators to give the most serious thought
to the question of who our leader for the coming five years
should be.

-- Bisnis Indonesia, Jakarta