A welcome show of unity<\/p>\n
Whatever has prevented the nation's leaders from meeting to
\ndefuse the political tension currently gripping Indonesia, as
\nintellectuals and analysts have urged, it did not stop
\nlegislators in the People's Consultative Assembly from issuing
\ntheir own statement aimed at easing the tension.<\/p>\n
Leaders of all 11 factions in the Assembly took the
\nunprecedented step on Sunday of issuing a four-point joint
\nstatement to stem the rising political tension ahead of next
\nmonth's General Session of the Assembly. During the session,
\nPresident Abdurrahman Wahid is scheduled to report on the
\nprogress he has made in leading the nation since being elected in
\nOctober last year.<\/p>\n
There has been much speculation in Jakarta over the past few
\nweeks about the possibility of certain factions turning the
\nGeneral Session of the Assembly into a special session designed
\nto remove the President from office.<\/p>\n
This speculation, coming amid endless bickering among
\npolitical parties, has sharpened the tension between the
\ngovernment and the legislature, and between the country's top
\nfour political leaders: President Abdurrahman Wahid, Vice
\nPresident Megawati Soekarnoputri, House of Representatives
\nSpeaker Akbar Tandjung and Assembly Speaker Amien Rais.<\/p>\n
Reflecting the apprehension the apparently broadening
\ndifferences between the political elite has caused among the
\npublic, the rupiah plunged to a 21-month low of Rp 9,520 to the
\nU.S. dollar on Monday, accompanied by a general weakening of
\nshare prices on the stock exchange.<\/p>\n
\"We therefore believe there should be a deliberate effort to
\nreduce the tension among the political elite and the public. The
\nfact that there have been differences of opinion should not
\naffect our commitment to maintaining the country's unity,\" the
\nchairman of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI
\nPerjuangan) faction in the Assembly, who read the statement,
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
So far, the statement seems to have calmed the public's
\nworries about the immediate future of the country. While the
\ncountry's top leaders may be oblivious to it, at least the
\npeople's representatives in the legislature are aware the endless
\nsquabbling among the political elite is hurting the nation.<\/p>\n
The problem is that no mention was made of one of the most
\nburning issues in the public's mind: will the President be
\nallowed to keep his job, or will there be attempts by certain
\nquarters in the Assembly to unseat him?<\/p>\n
It cannot be denied that some -- or many, as some observers
\nsay -- of the President's problems are of his own making. The
\ninconsistency of his statements and his unpredictable actions
\ncertainly provide ammunition for his political adversaries inside
\nand outside the Assembly.<\/p>\n
Nevertheless, trying to unseat the President in the middle of
\nhis term would make for a dangerous precedent that could plunge
\nthis nation into never-ending social, political and economic
\ninstability. With the precedent set, certain political factions
\nin the Assembly would be certain to try and unseat the next
\nPresident during the next general session.<\/p>\n
The consequences would be far worse than experienced during
\nthe country's venture into the \"liberal democracy\" of the 1950s,
\nwhen governments often lasted mere months. The only difference
\nwould be that this time it would not just be the Cabinet that was
\nreplaced, it would also be the President. The instability this
\nwould cause cannot be imagined.<\/p>\n
Because of this, one can only hope the joint statement issued
\nby the 11 factions in the Assembly on Sunday will not remain a
\nmere piece of paper, but will be implemented in the spirit in
\nwhich it ostensibly was drafted.<\/p>\n
According to the latest information, the nation's four top
\nleaders -- the President, the Vice President, House Speaker Akbar
\nTandjung and Assembly Speaker Amien Rais -- are scheduled to meet
\nlater this month, when they are expected to attend a congress of
\nthe National Awakening Party (PKB).<\/p>\n
There is little doubt that many Indonesians hope the meeting
\nmaterializes. It is not too late to try to mend the damage months
\nof squabbling has inflicted on the nation.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/a-welcome-show-of-unity-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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