The First 100 Days

On 28 January, the government of President Susilo Bambang Yudoyono (SBY) will celebrate its first 100 days in office.

In this connection, SBY has just released his third song album consisting of nine songs he recorded together with famous pop singers like Vidi Aldiano Tantowi Yahya, Rio Febrian, Fariz RM.

Meanwhile, a group of students, non government organizations, and other elements in society who called themselves Petisi 28 Coalition plan to launch a big demonstration in Jakarta on that day. Their objectives are to voice their allegations that the government failed to maintain justice, eradicate corruption and poverty. This is is shown by the mysterious flow of Rp 6.7 Trillion of tax payers' money to bail out Bank Century, and the conspiracy to criminalize the Corruption Eradication Corruption (KPK).
They also accused the government of adopting a neo liberal economic policy that do not benefit the majority of the country's people. In spite of protests made by industrialists the government insists that participation in the Asean-China Free Trade Agreement starting 1 January 2010 must go on without delay. This will cause the closing down of many local industries and massive lay down of workers.
The coalition demanded the resignation of Vice President Boediono and Finance Minister Sri Mulyani who were allegedly responsible for the Bank Century bail out.

But unfortunately SBY would not be around to listen to those protests because he will be visiting the Province of Banten.

For detailed media reports on the above, please click here, here, here.

I hope that the government would pay serious attention to the people's requests, and always base its policies on the interests of the majority of the people, otherwise they would look for alternative solutions offered by radical religious groups, socialist groups or even communist groups.