Democracy getting complicated<\/p>\n
President Abdurrahman \"Gus Dur\" Wahid is dubbed the most
\ndemocratically elected head of state. Officially at least, when
\nhe first assumed office, he was the outspoken champion of equal
\nrights for all political parties and religious groupings as well.
\nHe was the most acceptable candidate for the presidency although
\nhe only collected about 11 percent of the votes. As a cleric, he
\nappears to be most tolerant.<\/p>\n
After about a year in power, the most democratically elected
\npresident, has become the most ridiculed person in the new reform
\nera. The call for his resignation is becoming louder every day,
\nexcept from his supporters. Presently, the political situation
\nhas become more confusing and the democratic exercises have
\nbecome more complicated at that, against the background of slowly
\nmoving economic recovery efforts.<\/p>\n
A group of legislators initiated an extraparliamentary
\nconsultation of the most urgent national problems, ending up with
\na resolution calling on Gus Dur to step down as the best remedy
\nfor all national ailments. Student demonstrations in support of
\nthe call seems to have increased these days.<\/p>\n
The President's supporters have called the consultations, made
\noutside the official corridors of the House of Representatives
\nand the People's Consultative Assembly and organized by Kwik Kian
\nGie who is a member of the Assembly, unconstitutional. The
\nPresident himself, while refusing to budge at the beginning, has
\nnow agreed to step down if forced through constitutional means.
\nWhy do people ignore the progress he has made?<\/p>\n
The most conspicuous weakness of the President's management of
\nthe state affairs has been his lack of a sense of priority. When
\npeople were struck by earthquakes, he did not cancel his overseas
\ntrips, which he has indulged in too often. He seems oblivious of
\nuprisings in a number of provinces demanding self-rule.<\/p>\n
People are now speaking of replacing the President with the
\nVice President as a means of solving the national crises. Surely,
\nGus Dur is not fit to govern judging from his controversial
\nremarks and his failure to bring Soeharto and the members of the
\nformer first family to justice. Many have accused him of the same
\npractices of corruption, collusion and nepotism as his
\npredecessors. He has become an authoritarian.<\/p>\n
Independent observers believe that Gus Dur is not a man who
\nwould be willing to surrender to pressure. The nation is waiting
\nfor the moment when the situation becomes so untenable that he
\ndecides to give up power on his own volition. Only his fanatic
\nfollowers would not accept that without displaying resistance
\nwhich may lead to violence.<\/p>\n
At present an atmosphere of deadlock and immobility prevails
\npolitically, economically and constitutionally at the top level
\nof the nation's leadership. Democracy instead of getting easier
\nto handle, has become more complicated.<\/p>\n
Given these state of affairs, Kwik Kian Gie has the moral
\nobligation to put democracy on the right track unless his
\n\"torrent\" of opinions make things worse and not better.<\/p>\n
GANDHI SUKARDI<\/p>\n
Jakarta<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/democracy-getting-complicated-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }