Indonesia Must Maintain Sovereignty: House Speaker

Jakarta (Antara) - House Speaker Marzuki Alie said Indonesia must maintain sovereignty in all fields, including the economic sector, as it needs to develop a concept for developing the nation. "Indonesia should be sovereign in all fields, such as in the economic sector," said Marzuki Alie, who is also a contestant for the Democratic Party presidential nomination, on Monday. He added that Indonesia could do many things to maintain its sovereignty in all fields and not come under the influence of foreigners. Alie mentioned, for instance, that Indonesia must retain its sovereignty in exploiting its natural and food resources. "If we are not sovereign, freedom fighters will cry to see Indonesia's conditions improve," he said. In the economic sector, Indonesia must exercise its sovereignty through empowering the economy for the people. "It should not happen that Indonesia invites investors, while its people get nothing. The people must also enjoy the benefits of investments made by investors," he said. He said that regulations on the utilization of natural resources must be reviewed to see whether they should be revised or lifted. At the same time, Indonesia must carefully study regulations so that it would not face lawsuits in taking back the rights to natural resources. "The regulations must be studied to see whether contracts for foreigners to develop natural resources could be revised or halted. It should not happen that Indonesia violates agreements and faces lawsuits," the House Speaker noted. He added that the nation's sovereignty concept had been contained in the preamble of the 1945 Constitution, where it is written that the nation should protect all of the people and the Indonesian motherland. "We must meet the nation's aim to protect the people," he added. (*)