Calm before the storm?<\/p>\n
An eerie calm prevails as the countdown to the annual meeting
\nof the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) begins. It seems that
\njust about every party is going out of its way to ensure a
\nsuccessful meeting of the country's highest state institution,
\nwhich opens on Aug. 7. The agenda seems to merit the efforts:
\nThis is a gathering where President Abdurrahman Wahid will
\npresent a progress report of his first year in office.<\/p>\n
Although everyone may have a different idea of what \"success\"
\nmeans, the conventional wisdom is that success means nothing less
\nthan a smooth and peaceful gathering.<\/p>\n
That being the consensus, the police and the military are
\ngoing all out to ensure that there will not be any disruptions as
\nthe 700 MPR members gather to listen and debate the President's
\nreport. They have also appealed to students and non-governmental
\norganizations to stay away from the MPR building.<\/p>\n
The major political parties are making their contribution to
\nthe meeting's success by deferring some outstanding disputes with
\nthe President. The interpellation motion by the House of
\nRepresentatives against the President, and its inquiries into the
\nBulog-gate and Brunei-gate scandals, all of which have
\ncontributed to the escalating political tension in the past
\nmonth, have been put aside until after the MPR meeting.<\/p>\n
The President, for his part, has refrained from making
\ncontroversial statements which have characterized his brief
\npresidency. In Irian Jaya, where an independent aspiration is
\nbrewing, the President has let the local populace fly the Free
\nPapua Organization flag, but once the MPR meeting is over, he
\nwill allow the military to clamp down on the separatist movement.<\/p>\n
The stage, therefore, seems set for a smooth and peaceful MPR
\ngathering. Everyone is playing his or her part in defusing the
\npolitical tension. The much talked about showdown between the
\nlegislative and executive branches seems to have been averted.<\/p>\n
If all this looks familiar, that is because the notion of what
\na successful gathering means has hardly changed from the days of
\nthe Soeharto era. Success is still measured in terms of
\nappearances rather than substance. Many people seem to have
\nmissed the point that the MPR meeting is actually a forum for the
\nnation's political leaders to debate and fight out their
\ndifferences in a democratic and civilized way. If it means a
\npolitical showdown, so be it. As long as everybody plays by the
\nbook, there is no reason to fear that a showdown between the
\nPresident and the legislature will plunge the country into chaos.<\/p>\n
The endless fighting among the political elite has been
\nresponsible for keeping Indonesia unstable over these last 10
\nmonths. Most people in this country hope that these leaders will
\nresolve their differences at the MPR once and for all next month
\nso that they can get back to their normal lives afterward.<\/p>\n
Many people would probably be hard-pressed to remember what a
\nnormal life is, but everyone, including local and foreign
\ninvestors, are seriously hoping that some semblance of normalcy
\nwill be restored after the MPR meeting.<\/p>\n
By deferring pending disputes, however, the political elite is
\ndelaying an inevitable storm. Instead of getting their normal
\nlives back, people can be sure that the political elite will
\nrenew their fighting as soon as the MPR meeting is over, plunging
\nthe nation into another endless period of uncertainty.<\/p>\n
There is still one last hope that this will not be the case.<\/p>\n
A meeting of the nation's four influential, if not powerful,
\npolitical leaders in Yogyakarta on Tuesday could provide an
\nimpetus for them to show for once that they are united in their
\nendeavor to restore political stability and to allow the country
\nto get back on its feet again. The meeting, initiated by
\nYogyakarta ruler Sultan Hamengkubuwono X, will be attended by
\nPresident Abdurrahman, Vice President Megawati Soekarnoputri,
\nAssembly Speaker Amien Rais and House Speaker Akbar Tandjung.<\/p>\n
Given their public stature and large amount of supporters
\namong the populace, it is in the hands of these leaders that the
\nfate of this nation lies. It will require great statesmanship
\nfrom these leaders to put aside their own political interests and
\nambitions for once and to work together for the common good of
\nthis country, not just before the MPR meeting, but for as long as
\nis needed. Do they have what it takes? We can only pray.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/calm-before-the-storm-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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