So close, yet so far<\/p>\n
The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan)
\nmay have assured itself a general election victory even with less
\nthan half of the votes counted, but the coveted presidency for
\nits chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri still hangs in the balance.
\nThat question is far from being settled, and there is even the
\ndistinct possibility that she may be shut out altogether. Many
\nobstacles and pitfalls remain on her road back to Merdeka Palace,
\nwhere she spent much of her childhood as the daughter of
\nIndonesia's first president and founding father Sukarno.<\/p>\n
Dictating Megawati's direction is whether she can secure
\nenough support in the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR), which
\nis scheduled to convene in November to elect the country's new
\npresident. Winning the June 7 general election for the House of
\nRepresentatives (DPR), while crucial, may not be enough in
\nitself. PDI Perjuangan will likely have to form a coalition with
\none or more parties to win the necessary support in November, and
\nthis could entail long and protracted negotiations. Golkar, the
\nruling party which looks certain to come second in the general
\nelection, in the meantime also has began sounding out offers to
\nform a coalition to push the nomination of the incumbent,
\nPresident B.J. Habibie.<\/p>\n
Since it is the MPR, and not the DPR which elects a president,
\nMegawati and Habibie also will have to cut deals with the
\nmilitary -- which has 38 unelected representatives -- and the 200
\nrepresentatives from the regions and functional groups who join
\nthe 500 DPR members to form the MPR. For Megawati and Habibie,
\nthe initial forays are beginning in the battle for the
\npresidency.<\/p>\n
Another major problem confronting Megawati has to do with her
\nimage, especially in the face of a concerted and systematic
\ncampaign by her adversaries to discredit her. They have set out
\nto sow seeds of doubt -- ranging from the issue of her gender and
\nreligion to her intellectual capabilities -- in their efforts to
\nundermine her. While some of the methods used in the campaign
\nborder on character assassination, they are still within
\nacceptable limits. In a democracy, particularly a fledgling one
\nsuch as ours, there are bound to be those who go overboard or
\nbecome overzealous. One can take up just about anything but guns
\nto fight for a cause in a democracy.<\/p>\n
Ultimately, it will depend on Megawati and her advisors to
\ndecide her plan of action to deal with the sundry accusations
\nagainst her. The coming weeks and months will be tense, difficult
\nand decisive. Her resistance and resolve against physical and
\nmental abuse in the past won her sympathy, support and, as shown
\nin last week's elections, votes. It is questionable, however,
\nwhether such a passive strategy remains the right course at this
\ndecisive stage in the presidential race. Sooner or later, she
\nwill have to be more assertive in staking her claim to lead the
\nnation.<\/p>\n
It would be dangerously misguided to dismiss Golkar, just as
\nit was premature of the many who underestimated the longtime
\nruling party's strengths before the June elections. Some analysts
\nbelieve Habibie could still emerge the winner in November
\nalthough his Golkar is in a minority position. This is due to the
\ncomplex presidential election process, and the fact that the
\nappointment of some of the MPR representatives necessarily favors
\nthe incumbent.<\/p>\n
A victory for Habibie in November may be constitutionally
\nproper, but it would hardly be in the spirit of democracy. In
\nfact, it would throw Indonesia back into the state of the New
\nOrder regime, which we all assume has been safely left behind.
\nLet us not forget that the Soeharto regime lived up to the letter
\nof the 1945 Constitution, the prime reason why he went
\nunchallenged for 32 years, but nobody in their right mind would
\ncall his government democratic.<\/p>\n
It will be a tragedy if the party that wins the June general
\nelection fails to win the presidency in November. Those who voted
\nfor PDI Perjuangan did so in large part because of its nomination
\nof Megawati for president. If she loses the presidential race in
\nNovember, it will be a major blow to democracy, and to the will
\nof the people. If it happens, the greatest irony will be that she
\nwill have been defeated by the 1945 Constitution, which her
\nfather helped draft and which her party has vowed to defend
\ndespite convincing arguments for it to be replaced or amended.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/so-close-yet-so-far-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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