Markus Junianto Sihaloho – Former President Megawati Sukarnoputri, who is currently setting her sights anew on the presidency, lashed out at President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and outlined her platform for getting the nation back on track on Tuesday.
Megawati blamed the incumbent for allegedly failing to bring welfare to the people and for having an overly liberal approach to the economy, which she said left local enterprises and products out in the cold.
Speaking at a national meeting of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle, or PDI-P, Megawati blamed shortcomings in welfare programs to Yudhoyono's mismanagement of the national budget, saying he had failed to reduce unemployment and poverty.
"Basically, the government has been unable to accomplish what they had promised during the last elections in their short and medium development plan, for the welfare of the nation," Megawati said. "The government has also failed to control the prices of essentials, and failed to manage state finances," she added.
She said Yudhoyono was also guilty of an excessively liberal approach to the economy, leaving local businessmen with a shrinking share of the Indonesian market.
She said that while local products accounted for 74 percent of the market in 2002-04 when she was president, that portion had significantly declined to 22 percent.
"The government has been treating the people just [like] a child's toy, the yo-yo, which it throws around here and there. It may seem nice to look at, but the truth is this is making the people face uncertainties," Megawati said.
She proposed her own "2-8 policy" as an answer. According to Megawati, the number "2" stands for two goals – the enhancement of national unity by having an honest, open government, and the enhancement of people's welfare by providing cheap basic necessities and job opportunities.
She said the policy also referenced eight priorities for attaining the goals, including increasing national security, establishing a stronger bargaining position for food and energy management, establishing a stronger financial foundation, and paying sufficient attention to education and technology.
Other priorities, she said, would include access to cheap health care for citizens, promoting micro-economic support, promoting the national economy, and promoting good governance as well as legal and human rights.
"We do not want to hear that people must stand in line just to get fuel, people shouting about unaffordable prices of basic necessities or students committing suicide just because they cannot afford school fees," Megawati said. "[With the 2-8 policy], let us finish our reform commitment together."
Puan Maharani, Megawati's daughter, who heads the steering committee, said that more than 1,000 PDI-P members from all around the country attended the meeting, which had representatives from 474 PDI-P district branches.
Boediono, governor of Bank Indonesia, the country's central bank, also spoke at the meeting. Corruption Eradication Commission Chairman Antasari Azhar attended the opening ceremony as well.
Adang Rutjiatna, chairman of the PDI-P's Jakarta branch, said on Tuesday that presentations were providing party members with a sound education on economics and good governance. "They really help us to confirm our commitment to be more knowledgeable on such issues, including how to prevent corruption," Adang said.