A new leader, a new hope<\/p>\n
Now that the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) has
\nappointed Megawati Soekarnoputri as our new president, there is
\nstill this nagging question of whether she is really cut out for
\nthe job. We mean no disrespect toward her but the problems, or
\nchallenges, facing her today are so complex and daunting that no
\nwoman, or man for that matter, can be expected to resolve them in
\na short period of time, certainly not in the time given to this
\nelected post. What Indonesia probably needs today is not a
\nPresident Mega, but a mega-president.<\/p>\n
Nevertheless, Megawati's election on Monday at least resolved
\nthe leadership crisis that had engulfed this nation for most of
\nthe last 12 months. Indonesia has plunged deeper into the
\npolitical and economic crises because of the lack of an effective
\nleadership in the administration this past year.<\/p>\n
The power struggle between President Abdurrahman Wahid and his
\npolitical rivals has consumed so much time and energy of our
\npoliticians that they barely have had time to address other far
\nmore pressing problems all this time.<\/p>\n
Now that we have a new leader firmly in place following a
\ndemocratic process, the nation's politicians should put the power
\nstruggle behind them, at least for now, and start addressing all
\nthese big problems that have been put on hold for most of the
\npast year. Resolving the leadership crisis is crucial for it
\nprobably accounts for about half of the problems of this country,
\nbut addressing the other half will be equally tough, if not
\ntougher.<\/p>\n
The new President will need to muster all her skills to tackle
\nso many problems simultaneously. She also needs a capable team to
\nhelp her navigate through these problems. Most of all, she will
\nneed the support of the people to lead the nation out of the
\ncurrent crisis and put us back on the road to prosperity.<\/p>\n
It would be pointless trying to rank the problems facing
\nMegawati in terms of priority. These problems have been neglected
\nfor so long that almost all of them require immediate attention.<\/p>\n
National reconciliation certainly stands out among the most
\npressing problems. Abdurrahman's impeachment has left a very
\nbitter feeling among his supporters. His National Awakening Party
\n(PKB) still holds a sizable 11 percent of the seats in the House
\nof Representatives and it therefore has to be involved, if not in
\nthe executive body, then certainly in the legislature.<\/p>\n
Then there is the economic recovery program which has been put
\non hold because the International Monetary Fund (IMF) kept
\ndelaying the disbursement of its loan tranche to Indonesia on the
\ngrounds of lingering suspicions of the government's commitment to
\nmake meaningful reforms in the economic and financial sector.<\/p>\n
Fighting between the military and separatist rebels in Aceh
\nmust be stopped and a peaceful resolution to the problem found.
\nTension in Irian Jaya, another province where the demand for
\nsecession is also mounting, must be defused. Sectarian and ethnic
\nconflicts in Maluku and Kalimantan must end soon.<\/p>\n
Finally there is the agenda for political, social and legal
\nreforms, part and parcel of the movement to build a civil
\nsociety. Still on the legal front, Indonesia must prosecute and
\npunish those who committed human rights abuses and large-scale
\ncorruption in the past.<\/p>\n
Is President Megawati really up to the challenges confronting
\nthe nation today? Only time will tell.<\/p>\n
She was virtually pushed into the position by circumstances
\nrather than by design. She became president more by default
\nbecause as vice president she automatically took over following
\nAbdurrahman's ouster. This means that Megawati is inheriting all
\nthe problems, not only the legacy of 30 years of Soeharto's
\nmisrule, but also the legacy of nearly two years of Abdurrahman's
\nincompetent management of the government.<\/p>\n
Whatever reservations people may have of Megawati's competence
\nand leadership capability, she won the people's mandate through a
\ndemocratic process in the MPR. She may not be the mega-president
\nthat we all wished for, but she has the support and the goodwill
\nof the majority of the people in this country. At the very least,
\nher election has given the nation new hope.<\/p>\n
Given the daunting tasks at hand, this is not a job that any
\nperson, man or woman, can do alone. Megawati's success, to a
\nlarge extent, will therefore depend on the continued support and
\ngoodwill that mark the start of her presidency.<\/p>",
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