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akarta: An organized group of critics of former president Soeharto, known as Petisi 50, commemorated its 32nd anniversary on Friday, claiming that the current transitional era is not better than the New Order.

Petisi 50 secretary Chris Siner Key Timu said the similarities between the New Order and the current “reform era” were obvious, particularly regarding rampant corruption.

“As corrupt practices still exist in governmental institutions, the reform era is not better than the Soeharto’s era,” the 72-year-old said.

Citing an example, Chris said the construction of fraudulent sport facilities for the 2011 SEA Games had implicated several Democratic Party politicians, including lawmaker and former beauty queen Angelina Sondakh. The case also sent former party treasurer Muhammad Nazaruddin to jail.

He said the series of constitutional amendments designed to improve the people’s welfare had in fact distanced the people from natural resources.

“The amendment of Article 33, for example, has allowed foreign interests to control our natural resources,” he said.

Prominent attorney Adnan Buyung Nasution, who was present at the event as a speaker, said he disagreed with many ideas opposing the amendment.

“To be able to amend the Constitution is actually a positive side of the reform era,” he said.

Adnan said that amending Article 7 of the Constitution in 1999, for example, ended authoritarianism practices in the country. “And I also disagree with opinions that claim the reform era is no different from Soeharto’s New Order era,” he said. (/aml)