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JAKARTA, Aug 8 (AFP) - Words of praise for Indonesia's President Abdurrahman Wahid were drowned out Tuesday by a chorus of criticism from assembly members accusing him of causing new problems through weak management during his nine months in office. The harsh criticism came as the 700-member national assembly's 11 factions delivered their assessments of a progress report delivered by Wahid, a respected Muslim scholar, to the assembly on Monday. In his report, a beleaguered Wahid apologized for failing to live up to the country's expectations as Indonesia's first democratically elected president in the first nine months of his five-year term. He pleaded for more time to tackle the country's myriad problems, promising to form a new cabinet team after the Assembly's current 12-day session. Wahid was back in the Assembly Tuesday, slumped and appearing to doze in his chair as the litany of complaints against him were read out. Muslim based parties and the still-powerful former ruling Golkar party led the charge, accusing Wahid of creating new problems for his stricken nation. Poor security, political instability and legal uncertainty, were among the problems listed by Golkar's Asep Ruhimat Sujana, reading out the faction's response. He said Indonesia would have no future if Wahid failed to improve his management style. "It's difficult to say the days ahead will be better, without a positive change in Wahid's management," Sujana said. But like most factions, Sujana appeared not to be trying to push Wahid out of office, but putting him on notice that he must improve his style. Golkar, the political machine used by former president Suharto to stay in power for more than three decades, blamed Wahid for letting the rupiah and domestic share prices weaken, and investment stagnate. Burhanuddin Somawinata from the Muslim United Development faction said Wahid had created "new problems for the nation". "His style of management tends to create new conflicts," he said. Citing Wahid's dismissal of three ministers, Sominawata accused him of mis-using his authority and hiding behind his "prerogative rights". The faction also criticized Wahid's attempt to lift an assembly decree banning communism, saying that as president he was supposed to implement, not abolish, decrees. "The problems lie at the level of the president himself. The President is the cause of almost all the problems engulfing the nation," spokeswoman for the Muslim reform faction, Reform, Murdiati Akmal told the national assembly. The Reform faction is composed of two Muslim parties, including the National Mandate Party led by Assembly chairman Amien Rais, Wahid's most strident public critic. The Crescent and Star faction, also Muslim-based, accused Wahid of creating instability in the country through "controversial statements", a common criticism directed at the president. It also accused Wahid of encouraging separatism in the eastern province of Irian Jaya, by allowing the separatist 'Morning Star' flag to be raised and the use of the name Papua. The President's own National Awakening faction accused members of ignoring Wahid's achievements, notably sidelining the once all-powerful military. The 58-seat faction, however, said law enforcement and corruption eradication still needed attention. The Unity and Nationhood faction, a grouping of nationalist parties, praised Wahid for addressing the country's root problems, while noting that his efforts to resolve more pressing problems "had limited effectiveness". The faction's Sutradara Ginting emphasized that whatever his shortcomings, Wahid had not been found in serious violation of state guidelines and constitution. The Assembly's largest faction, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle, joined in criticizing Wahid's management style. It welcomed his plan to rearrange his cabinet and leave day-to-day to affairs to others in the government. The party praised Wahid's role in facilitating democracy and his religious tolerance. While praising Wahid for his efforts to weed out deep-rooted corruption, the military's representatives in the assembly took a stern line on separatist movements in Irian Jaya and Aceh. It accused Wahid of going too far in allowing Irian Jaya to be called Papua and in letting separatists in Irian Jaya fly their flag. The 38-member faction also took issue with his agreement to a ceasefire with separatists in Aceh province at the other end of the country. The markets appeared nervous Tuesday amid anxiety about the coming cabinet reshuffle. The composite index at the Jakarta Stock Exchange closed down 5.464 point at 485.080 as the rupiah was trading at 8,620-8,640 to the dollar; off a midday low of 8,730. Dealers said share prices had extended their earlier losses on fears that the reshuffle may spark a new round of political instability. |
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