Apriadi Gunawan, Rizal Harahap and Arya Dipa, Medan/Pekanbaru/Bandung – Students from across the country took to the streets on Thursday to protest "President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's failure".
In Medan, North Sumatra, a protest turned violent with students clashing with police when the latter attempted to douse tires that had been set alight at the Jl. Gatot Subroto traffic circle. However, the clash did not escalate and the police were able to extinguish the fires.
The protesters shouted their criticism, calling Yudhoyono's administration a failure because of its incompetence in improving people's welfare and eradicating corruption.
Rally coordinator Andi Harahap said Yudhoyono and his ministers had failed in their mission to improve people's wellbeing, which was testified by high levels of poverty and unemployment, low wages, expensive education and a corrupt political elite.
Andi said Yudhoyono and Vice President Boediono should step down from their positions, before the whole group of protesters started calling for their ouster.
The students also called for an early election to choose new leaders. "Dissolve the Cabinet, have Yudhoyono and Boediono resign and bring forth the election," Andi said.
After holding the rally at the traffic circle, the crowd assembled at the North Sumatra legislative office, where they demanded the newly approved Intelligence Law be revoked.
In Pekanbaru, Riau, scores of students affiliated with the Pekanbaru Students Executive Body (BEM) alliance commemorated Yudhoyono's seventh year in office by holding a rally in the heart of the city. They urged Yudhoyono to relinquish his post, given his weak leadership.
Riau University's BEM president Andri Yulan said Yudhoyono's seven-year leadership had not yet brought any changes for the nation. According to him, many people are still suffering and everyday life is still circumscribed by the corrupt behavior of the country's leaders.
"This country has no hope of becoming a substantial and dignified nation," he said.
He also cited a number of failures during Yudhoyono's administration, such as expensive yet low quality education, and weak law enforcement. "Also Yudhoyono does not provide protection for citizens working overseas," he said.
In Bandung, West Java, dozens of students grouped from the Bandung Muslim Students Action Alliance urged the government and House of Representatives to immediately prepare for an election.
Alliance leader Irfan Ahmad Fauzi said both leaders were proven incapable of managing the nation.
"The Law and Human Rights Ministry has released 29 graft convicts in the name of sentence remissions, despite the fact that they [the convicts] had actually seized the rights of the people," Irfan said in front of the Gedung Sate provincial administration office in Bandung on Thursday.
Another failure, he added, was evident from the democratic system constructed by Yudhoyono. According to Yudhoyono, democracy, the core of which is to realize people's welfare, is being used as a means to legitimize the pilfering of the country. "Consequently, the nation is being besieged by budgetary mafia," he said.
Meanwhile, around 50 students from the Bandung Institute of Technology conducted a protest by walking backwards. They held banners and posters with messages conveying their distrust of the government.