Geoff Spencer, Jakarta – In an apologetic speech, President Abdurrahman Wahid on Monday promised lawmakers he would prevent fierce sectarian and separatist conflicts from tearing Indonesia apart.
Admitting his shortcomings, the embattled Wahid pledged in a state of the nation address "to find out what we want for our country and what our country should be."
He defended the record of his 10 months in office and said he would do better. "To all the people of Indonesia, I humbly apologize for being unable to fully solve the prevailing problems during the last 10 months," Wahid said.
About 28,000 troops were on alert in case of street protests, but fears that Wahid's appearance at the 700-member Supreme Consultative Assembly would be met with hostility did not materialize at the opening of the 11-day forum.
Declaring a truce with nation's highest legislative body, Wahid – who had been threatened with impeachment – promised to "learn from my shortcomings and weaknesses" and said he would trim his ineffectual Cabinet.
Lawmakers applauded the apology that capped an 85-minute address read by an aide on behalf of the near-blind Wahid, who has been weakened by two strokes and diabetes.
"There will be no impeachment during this session," said Amien Rais, chairman of the assembly. But some lawmakers said later they were not satisfied by the speech, maintaining it lacked detail and did not address specific failings of Wahid's presidency.
Wahid has angered the two key political parties represented in his coalition government – Suharto's former ruling Golkar Party and Vice President Megawati Sukarnoputri's Democratic Party of Struggle – by sacking some of their ministers.
He has also been criticized for not quelling separatist rebellions and sectarian conflicts among Muslims and Christians in the east and west of the country, which have killed thousands.
"In dealing with these problems, the government remains firm in its stand not to compromise, let alone to tolerate separatist movements in the country," Wahid told lawmakers.
He said he would concentrate on foreign policy and leave domestic policy details to others, fueling speculation that Wahid will soon create a prime minister-like post to run the Cabinet's business. A likely candidate for the job is Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, a US-educated, recently retired army general who is now mines and energy minister.
Last October, the assembly elected Wahid as president, sweeping away the remnants of the authoritarian era of Suharto, who is now under house arrest on charges of corruption. Like many Indonesians, Suharto uses one name.
At that time, Wahid's plans to push through ambitious democratic and economic reforms generated high expectations. While he has reined in the power of the military, a separatist war continues in western Aceh province while Muslims and Christians fight a religious war in the eastern Maluku islands. Irian Jaya, in western New Guinea, also wants to break away. Wahid has also failed to control militia groups in Indonesian West Timor who have launched border raids into UN-administered East Timor.