Monday's polls a big leap for democracy<\/p>\n
A. Junaidi, Jakarta<\/p>\n
After almost 60 years, the Indonesian people will have the
\nopportunity on Monday to elect their president directly, moving
\nthe country a step closer to becoming a full-fledged democracy.<\/p>\n
Whoever wins the presidency, he or she will be the most
\nlegitimate leader Indonesia has ever elected. A candidate must
\nwin a simple majority in the landmark election which will see
\naround 155 million people cast their votes.<\/p>\n
Under the old regimes of Sukarno and Soeharto, the nation
\nnever really chose presidents or vice presidents.<\/p>\n
The country's founding president Sukarno and vice president
\nMohammad Hatta were unanimously elected on Aug. 19, 1945 by the
\nIndonesian Independence Preparation Committee (PPKI) which
\nconsisted of 15 members, including, Wahid Hasjim, Kasman
\nSingodimejo, Ki Hajar Dewantara, Oto Iskandar Dinata, Iwa
\nKusumasumantri and Sajuti Melik. The committee was founded by the
\nJapanese colonial government to win over the hearts and minds of
\nIndonesians in the wake of World War II.<\/p>\n
Despite the political and security instability and lack of
\npreparation, the country organized its first general election in
\n1955, which was viewed by many as the country's first democratic
\nelection.<\/p>\n
Only four years later, Sukarno, backed by the military,
\ndissolved the Konstituante, the law-making body whose members
\nwere elected in 1955, although they were coming close to
\ncompleting the draft of the new Constitution.<\/p>\n
Sukarno declared a state of emergency, marking the decline of
\ndemocracy in the new nation state.<\/p>\n
The Provisional People's Consultative Assembly (MPRS), whose
\nmembers were appointed by Sukarno, installed him as life-time
\npresident in 1963.<\/p>\n
A failed coup attempt blamed on the Indonesian Communist Party
\n(PKI) and elements of the Army in 1965 justified a transfer of
\npower from Sukarno to Gen. Soeharto.<\/p>\n
MPRS, which had undergone a purging of communist elements,
\nheld a special session in 1967 to dismiss Sukarno and appoint
\nSoeharto as acting president.<\/p>\n
Democracy became namesake under Soeharto, who resisted
\ncriticism. Under his 32-year rule, Indonesia organized six
\ngeneral elections, held every five years between 1971 and 1997.<\/p>\n
Soeharto's reelection by the People's Consultative Assembly
\ndominated by his Golkar Party, was always a foregone conclusion
\nunder a political system in which dissension was taboo.<\/p>\n
Even \"opposition\" parties did not dare to nominate candidates
\nother than Soeharto, known as the smiling general. The Muslim-
\nbased United Development Party (PPP) offered a little bit
\nopposition in the nomination of the vice president in 1987. but
\ngave up ahead of election day. Soeharto hailed PPP's submission
\nas a victory for democracy under state ideology Pancasila.<\/p>\n
A severe economic crisis followed by a wave of student
\ndemonstrations demanding sweeping reform forced Soeharto to
\nresign on May 21, 1998. Vice President B.J. Habibie, whom the MPR
\nappointed as Soeharto's substitute, promised a snap general
\nelection.<\/p>\n
Golkar Party suffered its first defeat ever in the general
\nelection in 1999 which was hailed as the most democratic since
\n1955. The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle finished first,
\nbut its candidate Megawati Soekarnoputri lost to Muslim cleric
\nAbdurrahman \"Gus Dur\" Wahid thanks to political maneuvering
\norchestrated by the Axis Force, a loose coalition of Islamic
\nparties.<\/p>\n
Megawati's defeat was a dear price to pay for an indirect
\npresidential election, not only because the practice is less
\ndemocratic, but also prone to vote buying. A candidate may need
\nto bribe 351 out of 700 MPR lawmakers to win the presidency.<\/p>\n
The same MPR members dismissed Gus Dur in 2001 for
\nincompetence and appointed Megawati as president.<\/p>\n
A bill for a direct presidential election, which was endorsed
\nby the MPR in 2002, was part of the constitutional amendments the
\ncountry required to move toward democracy.<\/p>\n
Historian Anhar Gonggong said the direct presidential election
\nwas a big leap Indonesia was making toward democracy.<\/p>\n
\"Before the reform movement, what we practiced was a pseudo
\ndemocracy. Both Sukarno and Soeharto killed democracy,\" said
\nAnhar of the University of Indonesia.<\/p>\n
The direct presidential election, Anhar said, will allow the
\nnation to get off to a good start in its bid to achieve genuine
\ndemocracy.<\/p>",
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