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Split Cabinet blamed for slow recovery

Source
Straits Times - April 20, 2000

Jakarta – Political divisions are slowing economic reform in Indonesia, but this is unavoidable given the size of the nation's political transformation, State Enterprises Minister Laksamana Sukardi has said.

"What makes Indonesian progress and recovery so slow, compared to Thailand and South Korea, is that our leaders are not united," Mr Laksamana told a business forum.

"The chairman of Parliament goes in a different direction, the President a different direction, the parties make different comments. The Cabinet – it looks like a coalition Cabinet but there is no such ... coalition in the Cabinet. You cannot have ministers in the Cabinet ... acting like a populist opposition attacking all of the government policies."

But Mr Laksamana said the confusion was part and parcel of efforts to rebuild civil society after the military-based rule of former president Suharto. The country was on the right track, even if it was a little "bumpy" for investors, he said.

"But this is one of the consequences ... it's only dreaming when Indonesia is converting to a democracy after 35 years of authoritarian rule," Mr Laskamana said. "This is a learning process, this is an expensive learning process." His comments echoed those of Defence Minister Juwono Sudarsono, who said the transition in Indonesia might take up to 15 years.

Mr Juwono has also made the point that increases in foreign aid to Indonesia should be "carefully calibrated" as the present political system might not be developed enough to use it properly.

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