SBY says govt tells the facts

"The government while carrying out its tasks as best as possible also wishes to explain everything as it is with facts and it is all accountable," he said when opening the 14th Congress of GP Ansor, the youth wing of the Islamic organization Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) here on Thursday.

A newspaper in its editorial this week raised criticism that the government had lied to the public. It quoted the criticism that was made by different religious leaders in a meeting here recently.

President Yudhoyono said the government had always worked as hard as possible to improve the welfare of the people.

"When I say the government I mean the central and local governments including the ministers, governors, mayors, district heads, sub-district heads and even village heads," he said.

He said despite the complexity of the problems and challenges that the government is facing all have been striving hard to improve the livelihood of the people.

"Certainly some have been achieved but we, including myself, have also to be honest that some have not," he said.

President Yudhoyono said every year he had always explained about what had been and had not been achieved by the government.

"I always tried to tell whatever it is and by doing that I hope we can continue carrying out the tasks with the spirit of togetherness and with the full support of the people to make the development program a success," he said.

On the occasion the President appealed to all parties to respect each other.

"I am not a cleric. I cannot as yet be able to become a cleric. I am just a common religious follower, the servant of Allah but I wish I can always control what I say and my feeling so that this country will remain strong. We share the bad and the good. That is what is the statehood should be," he said.

Coordinating minister for economic affairs Hatta Rajasa meanwhile had also said that all the facts presented by the government were based on official data issued by credible institutions such as the Central Bureau of Statistics.

Coordinating minister for political, security and legal affairs Djoko Suyanto had also refuted that the government had lied. He however referred not to the religious leaders` statement but rather to the media`s editorial. (*)