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ADDRESS OF Jakarta, 31 December 2003 |
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Brothers and Sisters, my fellow nationals and countrymen, wherever
you may be, Assalamu'alaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh, Greetings of prosperity be to all of us. In a few moments we shall be leaving the 2003 behind and usher in the arrival of the 2004 New Year. Like the previous years, at the threshold of this year transition, I would like to invite you all to join me to momentarily reflect on the balance sheet of our lives, and ponder on the essence of our common experiences in reorganizing our nationhood and statehood during the previous years to serve as provision of encouragement and determination in our preparation to facing the challenges of the coming 2004 year. I believe that we are now in a position to evaluate more lucidly on
what we have done, what we have accomplished, what are yet unfinished,
and what are still left to be done in the times to come. Indeed, we
have yet to complete all of our homework. However, I would humbly like
to convey that, as we are all able to witness or at least perceive,
we have managed to achieve substantial results. In the economic sector,
the wheels of our economy have started to rotate again. Our exports
continue to increase, and our foreign exchange reserves also grow bigger.
Through the various measures and disciplines on budgetary policies that
we have put in place, we were able to reduce the deficit and continue
to decrease our inflation figures. Our success in stabilizing the exchange
rate of the rupiah coupled with its more solid prospect, in addition
to our ability to keep under control the level of the bank's interest
rates, has nonetheless expanded our economic life even wider. We should not continue to deceive ourselves into thinking that the
movements in the economic sector were achieved more due to the ability
of the market to reorder itself and so forth. After all, the market
mechanism, which later provided positive impetus to the growing stability
and solidity of the exchange rate of the rupiah, is due to the trust
in the position, determination and consistency of the government in
managing the direction of its policies and programmes. The compatibility
of policies and firmed stance that are now being demonstrated by the
government together with the Bank of Indonesia, as the managing institution
of the monetary policies, - a condition that was not realized in the
last few years -, in any case were the main factors that enabled the
bank's interest rates to be kept under control. This achievement is
the result of our hard work. It goes without saying that the market
possesses its own rules. Nevertheless, without having to generalize
this type of norm, what has occurred in Indonesia, in all sincerity,
cannot be separated from the influence of the aforementioned stance,
policies, and measures of the government. In the political and security sectors, we have succeeded in appeasing
the turmoil and conflicts between groups or ethnic groups, or vertical
conflicts in several regions, which nearly tore down the very fabrics
of our nationhood and statehood. In spite of feeling bitter from having
to take firm actions, we have also managed to quell separatist movements
from the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia. Our ability to
overcome terrorism threats has also strengthened our conviction that,
wherever, whenever, and by whoever this most inhuman crime is perpetrated,
we shall continue to confront them. We are fully conscious of the fact
that terrorism also has its reasons rooted in past history. However,
we shall continue to confront and oppose the act of terror as a means
of struggle that is despicable and always causes human and material
losses. In the governmental sectors, though still requiring remedial measures,
we have also been more able to place on a firmer footing the new pattern
of relations between the national and regional administrations. The
empowerment of the societies and administrations in the regions has
shown improved results with the improvement of their self-confidence.
In the meantime, we have also noted that some aspects have shown shortcomings
and, hence, would require remedies. In line with the recommendation
of the People's Consultative Assembly of the Republic of Indonesia (MPR-Rl)
issued since 2000, 2002, and 2003, we are currently preparing these
measures. Despite all the constraints still confronting us, we have been able
to progress forward. We are convinced that in 2004 we shall be able
to achieve much more. We should indeed look ahead. This is due to the
prospect that 2004 will not only remain a difficult year, but it will
also not merely be a usual year. The year 2004 will have a particular
significance in the consolidation of all endeavours in the national
reforms that we have conducted in the last five years, while at the
same time laying a stronger foundation for a new Indonesia that is not
only safer but also more prosperous. It is our maturity as a nation that ultimately makes us realize that
only within the framework of the unitary state that we would be able
to overcome the limitations intrinsic in our ethnic groups. It is only
within the framework of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia
that a far wider room for movement is available to all the citizens
to optimally develop their human potentials and talents. In this connection,
the constitutional recognition towards human rights and the rights of
citizens is expected to erase any misinterpretation on the constitutional
position of the human being and people within our state, and concurrently
restore the dignity of our people as bearer of the highest sovereignty
in this state. We have also reordered the People's Consultative Assembly, which is
constituted of the House of Representatives and the Regional Representatives
Council, which holds the authority to propose to the House of Representatives
bills of law related to regional autonomy, relations between the central
and regional administrations, the establishment, expansions, and merging
of regions, the management of natural resources and other economic resources,
and related to the equitable financing between the central and regional
administrations. The members of the Regional representatives Council
will be elected directly in conjunction with the election for the House
of Representatives and the Provincial Council for Provinces. It is our
expectation that through the Regional Representatives Council the legitimate
aspiration and interest of our people would be able to be channeled
institutionally in the process of formulating the national policies. We are also reorganizing the institutional and authority aspects of
the presidential, legislative, and judicative institutions with the
purpose of producing a better balance of power between those three government
branches. In the ranks of the judicial branch, we now have the Constitutional
Court, which among others holds the authority to assess the substance
of laws based on constitutional norms; assess the opinions of the House
of Representatives that the President and/ or Vice President have/has
committed a legal offence in the form of betrayal towards the state,
corruption, bribery, other grave criminal acts, or disgraceful act,
and or the opinion that the President and/or Vice President no longer
fulfill/s the criteria as President and/or Vice President. We must admit that, at the time we enjoyed various achievement in decades
prior to the 1997 crises, as a nation we have also committed mistakes
and errors, which negative impacts have been and are still felt to this
moment. We must be able to emerge from this mistake and error and proceed
with the struggle of this nation and state toward a better and more
advanced stage. For this purpose, we must have the courage to resolve
all historical burdens that have not only given rise to a feeling of
mutual suspicions and mutual mistrust among fellow nationals, but have
also caused us to be unable to empower our own potentials. We must take
courageous breakthrough measures. Toward this end, the government has proposed to the House of Representatives
a bill of law on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission as a mean to
settle in a fundamental manner all those historical burdens. This step
must be taken, for it is an improbability to bring all the human right
violations to court. It is also impossible for a nation to continue
its mutual coexistence while at the same time bearing an unending grudge.
Through the truth and Reconciliation Commission, we attempt to heal
those wounds from past history and prepare ourselves to continue the
long struggle towards a more secure, just and prosperous society. Another considerable breakthrough that we have made is the establishment
of the Corruption Eradication Commission as a state institution conferred
with an extensive legal authority to eradicate corruption as a major
ill of our nation, which constitutes one of the most important factors
that causes the decline of our nation, not only in the economic sector,
but also in the political, socio-cultural, and even security and defense
sectors. I have followed attentively the pessimistic view of a number of our
citizens with regard to the effectiveness of this Commission I would,
however, urge all of us to not only give it a chance but also provide
it with as much support as possible for this Commission to successfully
perform its tasks, which after all of concerns the interest of all of
us. A new order of nationhood and statehood in the post-reform period would
clearly not emerge on its own. In order to realize it, a state apparatus
- which not only fully comprehends and believes in the veracity and
legitimacy of that new order, but all possesses a high personal integrity,
reliable leadership capacity, and an unflinching populist spirit - would
be needed. It would indeed not be an easy task to elect such highly qualified
state apparatus figures, be it for the ranks of the administration at
the national level as well as at the regional administrations. Nevertheless,
however difficult it may be, our populace must individually determine
its choice with the full consciousness that, once a decision to elect
a candidate has been made, it would be bound to the national and regional
policies they would produce through the legislative and executive institutions. Therefore, through this forum, in my capacity as Head of States, as
Head of Government, and in my personal capacity, I would like to urge
all of the people of Indonesia, in particular to the electorate, to
truly utilize their right to vote in a conscious, intelligent and responsible
manner. Brothers and Sisters, do cast your vote on the party and candidate
that you truly believe to be worthy of being the bearer of the mandate
to run and steer the vessel of the Republic of Indonesia towards a better
stage of security, justice and prosperity. Learn from the experiences of the previous general elections. Consolidate
the good experiences and avoid the bad ones, which have brought futile
victims and losses. Do follow and abide by the various regulatory legislations on the General
Elections that have been, are currently, and will be issued by the ranks
of the general Elections Commission, be they at the central as well
as at the regional levels. Do examine, from this moment on, the complete
curriculum vitae of the candidates to the various legislative and executive
institutions that would be proposed to all of you in the forthcoming
General Elections. Do consider and choose the candidate you deem to
be the best. Those are the messages that I would like to convey to you, my fellow
Indonesians, on this year transition. I wish you Happy New Year. May
God the Most Compassionate and Merciful always bestow upon us His blessings
and guidance. Amen.
MEGAWATI SOEKARNOPUTRI
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