PDI-P: The lonely and powerless opposition
The humiliating defeat of anti-ExxonMobil movement in the House of Representatives have obviously confirmed PDI-P, the second largest party led by former president Megawati Soekarnoputri, as the lonely and powerless opposition to government's policies. The party's legislators felt betrayed by other parties, especially the Prosperous and Justice Party (PKS) and National Mandate Party (PAN).
Commenting on the defeat in Tuesday's voting (83 support the anti-Exxon, 257 against it), Taufik Kiemas, senior PDI-P politician and the husband of Megawati, said nothing the party could do except to face the reality that it lost the battle. "We can't win forever," he said. The problem, PDI-P has never won any battle since Megawati lost the presidential race in 2004 and proclaimed as an opposition party. In fact, the party lost almost all battles, including on fuel price hike late last year and rice import policy early this year.
Worse, the party, over and over, has been 'used' by other parties to leverage public image. The latest move to investigate government's policy awarding ExxonMobil the right to operate the giant Cepu oil and gas field was initially supported by PKS and PAN. Even some Golkar legislators (the largest party in the House) and from other parties such as PKB and PPP were among the supporters of the initiative.
But when it comes to final decision, the voting, it's clear that PDI-P was left alone. The party was the only solid force to endorse the investigation. PKS zero, PPP zero, PDS zero, Golkar zero,and PKB zero. PDI did get additional votes from PAN. But with 9 support and 20 against the initiative, it's a sad reality for PAN itself because Amien Rais (former chairman of PAN and former Assembly Speaker) is the key figure outside the parliament building who campaigned the anti-ExxonMobil movement. Besides PAN legislators such as Drajad Wibowo and Tjatur Sapto Edi were the most quoted spokespersons of the anti-ExxonMobil movement. These guys, including Amien, even failed to convince their colleagues in the party. How could they expect to convince people outside the party?
Compared to the voting on rice import policy where PDI-P got full support from PKS, in the anti-ExxonMovement PDI-P is lonely and powerless.
In such a situation, government should have been decisive enough in implementing policies. The problem, the current administration scored only few important decisions and pending most just because it care too much about the public image. That's the difference. A rubber-stamp legislative, just like during Soeharto years, is not a guarantee that we have a strong and decisive executive. It's depend on who's the man behind the gun!
READ MORE!!!
Commenting on the defeat in Tuesday's voting (83 support the anti-Exxon, 257 against it), Taufik Kiemas, senior PDI-P politician and the husband of Megawati, said nothing the party could do except to face the reality that it lost the battle. "We can't win forever," he said. The problem, PDI-P has never won any battle since Megawati lost the presidential race in 2004 and proclaimed as an opposition party. In fact, the party lost almost all battles, including on fuel price hike late last year and rice import policy early this year.
Worse, the party, over and over, has been 'used' by other parties to leverage public image. The latest move to investigate government's policy awarding ExxonMobil the right to operate the giant Cepu oil and gas field was initially supported by PKS and PAN. Even some Golkar legislators (the largest party in the House) and from other parties such as PKB and PPP were among the supporters of the initiative.
But when it comes to final decision, the voting, it's clear that PDI-P was left alone. The party was the only solid force to endorse the investigation. PKS zero, PPP zero, PDS zero, Golkar zero,and PKB zero. PDI did get additional votes from PAN. But with 9 support and 20 against the initiative, it's a sad reality for PAN itself because Amien Rais (former chairman of PAN and former Assembly Speaker) is the key figure outside the parliament building who campaigned the anti-ExxonMobil movement. Besides PAN legislators such as Drajad Wibowo and Tjatur Sapto Edi were the most quoted spokespersons of the anti-ExxonMobil movement. These guys, including Amien, even failed to convince their colleagues in the party. How could they expect to convince people outside the party?
Compared to the voting on rice import policy where PDI-P got full support from PKS, in the anti-ExxonMovement PDI-P is lonely and powerless.
In such a situation, government should have been decisive enough in implementing policies. The problem, the current administration scored only few important decisions and pending most just because it care too much about the public image. That's the difference. A rubber-stamp legislative, just like during Soeharto years, is not a guarantee that we have a strong and decisive executive. It's depend on who's the man behind the gun!
Labels: ExxonMobil, SOEHARTO Inc
READ MORE!!!
posted by yosef at 3:45 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home