Govt has failed to complete major reform agenda: PKS

Govt has failed to complete major reform agenda: PKS

The Jakarta post 21/5/08, Jakarta

The government of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has come under fire from one of its key allies for failing to complete its major reform agenda.

In a statement issued Monday as part of the 10th anniversary of the reform movement, the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) faction at the House of Representatives blamed the failure on the President's weak and indecisive leadership.

Golkar Party top executive Andi Mattalata refrained from criticizing the government Tuesday, saying the nation as a whole bore responsibility for the slow reform.

Speaking at the launch of a book published by Kosgoro, which supports Golkar, Mattalata said the reform movement had apparently reached a standstill because of widespread prejudice in society, including among leaders.

"Our heroes promoted a positive way of thinking, which eludes us today. We need to start to see things in a positive manner to develop this country," Mattalata said.

"Reform is not about who leads or will lead this country. It's more about leaders' minds and attitudes."

Chairman of the PKS faction at the House, Mahfudz Siddiq, said the Yudhoyono administration had wasted its opportunity to build strong leadership and to boost development in line with the spirit of reform.

"The unfinished reform agenda will threaten both the reform movement and democracy," Mahfudz said.

The PKS and Golkar are the major political bedrocks of the government of Yudhoyono and Vice President Jusuf Kalla, who is also Golkar chairman.

Mahfudz said the government had in particular shown no sign of achieving reform within the bureaucracy, which he said should be completed by the time Yudhoyono and Kalla end their term next year.

"There has been almost no change to our bureaucracy. The bureaucratic system does not accelerate development; in fact, it hampers progress," said Mahfudz.

Mahfudz also criticized the government for failing to uphold a democratic economy due to dominant multinational corporations and weak domestic enterprises.

"On the one hand, the MNCs can stimulate the real sectors in our economy, but on the other hand they may threaten the sovereignty and assets of the state," Mahfudz said.

The PKS praised legal reform for producing many progressive laws. But law enforcement has been hampered by corrupt law enforcers and political intervention, Mahfudz said.

Former Indonesia Military chief Gen. (ret) Wiranto took responsibility for the incompletion of the reform agenda.

"The country's leaders and politicians, including me, had once promised to bring a better life, a better democracy and transparency in many aspects. However, we have not succeeded in making those promises come true during 10 years of reform," said Wiranto, who now leads the People's Conscience Party (Hanura).

"It doesn't mean that we have failed, because we have done something. We just have not found the right format to reform every aspect of our life," he said.(alf/trw)