Obama Factor to Strenghten RI-US Relationship

Sumber :

VIVAnews - It is believed that the relationship between Indonesia and the US will be strengthened under Barak Obama's presidency. His outstanding popularity in Indonesia, given the fact that he spent some of his childhood in Jakarta, would be a great benefit to make a greater bilateral cooperations as well as restoring American image in this country, said Ambassador David Merrill to VIVAnews via email from Washington. 

As the president of the United States-Indonesia Society (USINDO), Mr. Merrill gave some insight into the prospects of the bilateral relationship under Obama's presidency. Ambassador Merrill has lived in Indonesia for four years as Mission Director of USAID from 1987-1990.  He then served as U.S. Ambassador to Bangladesh from 1994-1997. 

After government service, Ambassador Merrill held senior positions with energy companies Halliburton and Enron based in Malaysia and Singapore. Subsequently, he was Senior Vice President, International, at Nathan Associates, a consulting firm in economic development in Washingon DC (2001-2007). Since March 27th 2008, Ambassador Merrill has been serving as the president of USINDO.


Why is the Inauguration held on January 20th?

Under the Twentieth Amendment to the United States Constitution, the date of the Presidential Inauguration was moved from March to January 20.   During much of the 19th century, a lengthy period of four months was simply a necessity for an incoming president to move and transition.  However, it became clear that during times of crisis – such as those that preceded the inaugurations of Abraham Lincoln and Franklin D. Roosevelt – that delaying inauguration impeded the functioning of the government.

Apart from the swearing-in ceremony, are there any special events that should be attended by the new president and his family? 

January 20th will be a busy day for the new president and his family. If tradition is any guide, the new president will meet the outgoing president at the White House and they will ride together to the swearing-in ceremony. Following the ceremony – which will include entertainment, the president’s inaugural address and the new president taking the Oath of Office – the newly sworn-in President Obama will attend a departure ceremony for President Bush and attend a luncheon, followed by a parade from the Capital to the White House.  In the evening, there will be ten official inaugural balls and the Obama family is expected to attend all of them.
  

Is the USINDO arranging an event during the Inauguration Day both in Washington DC and Jakarta?


In Jakarta, USINDO is publicizing the Friends of Obama Inaugural Ball. This dinner-dance event will include a live viewing of the swearing in ceremony at midnight. With so many events going on in Washington on January 20th, USINDO has not planned a specific event during inauguration day. However, at the end of the week, USINDO will host an open forum "Obama's Inauguration: Through the Eyes of Indonesia's Metro TV" with Indonesia Metro TV anchor Zelda Savitri from “Indonesia this Morning.”  Moreover, the new president and his personal experience in Indonesia will likely shape USINDO events in both countries throughout 2009.


What do you think are the main achievements made by President Bush's administration in strengthening the bilateral relationship between the two countries during his eight-year presidency? 

Despite some clear foreign policy differences during the last eight years, the U.S.-Indonesia relationship has been strong and there were many instances where it strengthened.  President Bush’s commitment to over $150 million in education assistance for Indonesia made during his Bali speech was carried out.  US assistance to tsunami relief and reconstruction, coming from the government, the private sector, and individual American citizens strengthened our common bonds.  The U.S. has been supportive of Indonesian environmental programs, including the Coral Triangle Initiative proposed by Indonesia.   Ambassador Hume’s personal commitment to dealing with environmental issues has had a very positive impact.   I expect that U.S. support for cooperation with Indonesia on the environment will intensify under the incoming administration.

Considering President Obama's outstanding popularity in Indonesia, are you optimistic that the bilateral relationship will become stronger or does the nature of the relationship will likely remain unchanged?

That we have a U.S. President with personal knowledge and experience of Indonesia is one of the most significant developments one can imagine in terms of its potential to improve mutual understanding between our countries.  Even during the campaign, it was clear that he was viewed as the candidate from Indonesia, so enthusiasm is high. 

I am very confident the bilateral relationship will further strengthen during the Obama administration.  President Yudhoyono, in his USINDO speech in Washington November 14, called for a 21st century U.S.-Indonesia partnership based on equality and mutual respect.  He proposed cooperation on such global issues as climate change, the world financial crisis, food shortages, energy security, and bilateral educational cooperation for Indonesia’s goal to become a knowledge economy.  I’m hopeful that the incoming U.S. administration will want to respond to this request, and make suggestions of its own, leading to a true bilateral partnership in key substantive areas. Of course, we also hope President-Elect Obama will seriously consider a visit to Indonesia, which would have multiple benefits for the relationship.