Presidential transition and RI's foreign policy<\/p>\n
Bantarto Bandoro, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Following clear signs that Gen. (ret) Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono
\nis set to lead the country, he was reported as saying that
\ndomestic problems would be the focus of his policy in his first
\n100 days. He also said he would refrain from making foreign trips
\n(The Jakarta Post, Sept. 23).<\/p>\n
His view likely rests on the conviction that he should first
\nhandle the country's paramount domestic problems; that foreign
\npolicy would be a later priority for his government after
\nrestoring domestic chaos.<\/p>\n
Susilo won the mandate from the people to bring change to the
\ncountry and create a better Indonesia. The public will be
\nobserving very closely whether the next government is really
\ncommitted to change. But what the country needs now is effective
\nleadership in domestic as well as foreign policy.<\/p>\n
On the foreign policy front in particular, a change of
\ngovernment should not in any way downgrade our nation's
\neffectiveness in the international community.<\/p>\n
The former U.S. secretary of state Dean Acheson once reminded
\nthe American people during the 1952-1953 transition from
\npresident Harry Truman to Dwight Eisenhower that "some work in
\nthe process we were able to carry through home and abroad; other
\nmatters languished, while the great external realm waited to see
\nwhat manner of man follow us".<\/p>\n
In this context, the message is clear that Susilo as the
\ncountry's next president will also need to have a full and proper
\nunderstanding of our foreign policy so as to make Indonesia's
\ninternational standing even more solid and respected.<\/p>\n
To achieve such an objective, Susilo should attempt to build a
\nnational consensus that domestic national policies will not be
\neffective if they are not related to an international framework.<\/p>\n
It is against such a background that Susilo needs to embark on
\nforeign trips at the earliest time of his presidency,
\nparticularly to ASEAN countries as this has been a tradition for
\nquite some time. Susilo must not skip important regional meetings
\nsuch as the ASEAN summit in Laos, APEC forum in Chile or the ASEM
\nsummit in Hanoi later this year.<\/p>\n
Such multilateral forums provide ample opportunity for him to
\nintroduce fresh ideas about Indonesia's approach to regional and
\ninternational affairs as well as to explain the changes to be
\ninitiated by the new government.<\/p>\n
To balance between domestic and international needs is perhaps
\nthe biggest challenge of Susilo government. He must realize that
\nforeign policy can be effective way to meet the country's
\ndomestic needs. The next government should be aware that peace,
\nstability and prosperity at home are also influenced by external
\ndevelopments and the government must try to influence those
\ndevelopments by mobilizing whatever resources are available.<\/p>\n
We must be able to seize the opportunities provided by the
\ntransition, but we also have to be fully aware that presidential
\ntransition can represent periods of lost opportunity, if not
\ndanger. The reliability of Indonesia's diplomacy during the
\nMegawati government, as perceived at least by the countries in
\nour immediate region, seemed to have been lessened by the
\nseemingly unclear foreign policy objectives that accompanied the
\nchangeover from president Abdurrahman Wahid to Megawati.<\/p>\n
As the presidential transition here takes place at the time of
\ngrowing complexity and uncertainty in our strategic environment,
\nnothing would do better to accelerate the transition and reduce
\nthe cost than to achieve a general consensus at home on the
\ndirection of our domestic and foreign policies.<\/p>\n
While in today's complex world it is unlikely, if not
\nimpossible, for us here to achieve a national consensus on all
\naspects of foreign policy, better mutual understanding and
\nsupport on the country's future international role should be
\neffectively sought. Such support would not only decrease the
\ndanger that unwise foreign policy would backfire on the country,
\nbut also helps to give the new president an armory of tested
\npolicies to strengthen his capacity to face foreign policy
\nchallenges.<\/p>\n
Susilo has hinted his administration would launch a series of
\nbold new policies. This would lead to changes, some of which
\nwould be fundamental ones.<\/p>\n
However, Susilo should not overlook at least three cautionary
\nnotes:<\/p>\n
First, he should not undertake foreign policy changes simply
\nfor the sake of appearing different from his predecessor.<\/p>\n
Second, he should remember that while Indonesia is perceived
\nas the most influential country in the region, it continues to
\nstruggle for its economic recovery. This country must proceed
\nwith a degree of consistency in relations so as to maintain
\nexternal resources for its economic development.<\/p>\n
Third, Susilo's administration should beware of the "100 days
\nsyndrome", especially as it affects foreign policy, which would
\ncause Susilo and his team to believe that if they have not made
\nmomentous decisions by the end of their first three months, they
\nwould fail in the next five years.<\/p>\n
It is a political reality that foreign policy issues did not
\nattract the attention of the presidential candidates during the
\nelection campaigns. But because foreign policy is indeed an
\ninstrument to promote and articulate national interests abroad,
\nit is perhaps wise for one to call for a greater continuity of
\nforeign policy insofar as it reflects an underlying consensus
\nabout our major foreign policy objectives.<\/p>\n
Sudden basic shifts and changes in foreign policy could
\ndestabilize and disrupt the country.<\/p>\n
Therefore, Susilo's foreign policy team should reach a
\nconsensus that the next administration's foreign policy must be
\nbuilt upon pragmatic, realistic and rational thought. This should
\nthen be translated into a fresh foreign policy agenda that is
\noriented toward overcoming our domestic problems.<\/p>\n
The new president must have a good grasp of the country's
\ninternational affairs and understand the importance of
\ninternational links to the solution of our domestic problems.
\nCoherence and consistency in foreign policy are best served if
\nthe president has only one principle lieutenant in that area, the
\nminister for foreign affairs.<\/p>\n
The writer is the editor of The Indonesian Quarterly of the
\nCentre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) and a
\nlecturer of the International Relations Post-graduate Studies
\nProgram at the Faculty of Social and Political Science, the
\nUniversity of Indonesia. He can be contacted at
\nbandoro@csis.or.id.<\/p>",
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