He expressed the appreciation in his speech at the 47th anniversary of the country`s second biggest party at the Bung Karno Sports Stadium in Senayan here on Saturday.
"I want to say thanks for all the criticisms and inputs Golkar has addressed to the government. The government will continue its efforts to bring about improvements," he said.
He acknowledged that many Golkar Party cadres had worked with the government in various fields, including ministers in the Second United Indonesia Cabinet, provincial governors, city mayors and district heads.
"The hope and expectation I now address to all Golkar Party members and the Indonesian people in general are that we will remain confident despite the increasingly complex challenges and grave problems the nation is facing," he said.
Meanwhile, Golkar Party chairman Aburizal Bakrie in his speech on the occasion outlined what he thought the government still had to achieve in the fields of law enforcement, administering justice and creating good and clean government.
"The Golkar Party will never stop reminding the government that the people badly crave a cleaner and more authoritative government, a government that derives its authority from its truthfulness, justness, honesty, courage and seriousness in fighting in the people`s interest," he said.
Aburizal also raised the Papuan issue in his speech, saying the government must be firm in dealing with separatism that was seeking to divide the unitary state of Indonesia.
In response to the Golkar leader`s remarks, President Yudhoyono admitted that Aburizal Bakrie had been quite candid in touching on the nation`s problems but it was all in the best interest of the Indonesian people.
"So why I am supporting and underlining the appeal is because the issues are indeed important and true such as the call for safeguarding the unitary state of Indonesia and our stand against separatism including in Papua," he said.
He said the government was continuing to fight corruption, reduce poverty and close economic gaps. He said the government also continuing to build a clean and authoritative government which was free of corruption and other irregular practices.
"I would like to underline these things because they are what the government in which the Golkar Party also has a stake at the central and regional levels is continuing to fight," he said.
President Yudhoyono asked Golkar as a coalition member party to continue to increase economic growth and people`s welfare and fight corruption and other kinds of crimes.
"I call on and sincerely hope that Golkar will always be in the front line when it comes to ensuring that our nation will eventually become really united, hard working and smart," the President said.
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Editor: Aditia Maruli Radja
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
