President asks parties not to politicize govt's rice-price control measures Solo, Central Java (ANTARA News) - President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono asked all parties on Wednesday not to politicize the government`s measures to check rising rice prices through market operations and distribution of subsidized rice for the poor.
"The government is aware of the impact of the measures it is taking to deal with the rising rice prices, particularly on farmers," he said.
To reverse the trend in the rice prices, the government had conducted market operations in a number of regions and sped up distribution of subsidized rice for the poor.
Normally, subsidized rice was distributed among the poor in mid January, he said.
Asked about the extent to which the market operations had been effective in lowering the prices, he said the prices were still high despite the market operations. Therefore, he added, in the next market operations the government would try to sell rice at affordable prices.
"We will focus on how to enable the people to buy rice at affordable prices. So, we will make all-out efforts," he said.
In this connection, the President asked the National Logistics Agency (Bulog) and regional governments to monitor the volatility of rice prices to avoid massive purchases that could create economic and social problems.
The issue of rice shortages became a "political commodity" after People`s Sovereignty Alliance (Akur) leaders had alleged that the Golkar Party was behind the Indonesian Awakening Movement (GKIR)`s maneuver to call for a cabinet reshuffle.
Former president Try Sutrisno, who initiated the formation of GKIR said after a meeting with House Speaker Agung Laksono and Golkar Party leaders on Tuesday that based on the results of dialogs with the public GKIR had come to the conclusion that the worsening standards of living were attributable to poor national leadership.
Akur which comprises the Indonesian Development Monitoring, the People`s Lawyers Association, the Sigma Democrat, the Free Student Movement, the Federation of State Firms` Labor Unions, the People`s Forum Against Corruption alleged that the GKRI`s maneuver had received support from Golkar.
The maneuver was merely aimed at calling on President Yudhoyono to reshuffle the United Indonesian Cabinet, allowing GKIR members to sit in the cabinet, Akur spokesman Haris Rusly Moti said.
Deputy chairman of the social department of the Democrat Party Sulaiman Haikal said the maneuver had passed through a "pre-condition" level, namely the disappearance of kerosene and rice from markets.
"We have conducted an investigation into the disappearance of kerosene and rice. It seems that the problem is the work of kerosene, rice or sugar speculators. The speculators do not stand alone but are part of a network built by old players in the political arena," he said. (*)
