The tasks ahead<\/p>\n
Indonesia democratically elected a president for the first
\ntime in more than half a century on Wednesday, amid doubts of the
\ncountry's immediate future and fears that the road of transition
\nto democracy would prove to be a long and arduous one.<\/p>\n
In a tension-laden vote count in the country's highest
\nlegislative body, the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR), the
\nAssembly named Abdurrahman Wahid, chairman of the Nahdlatul Ulama
\nMuslim organization, Indonesia's fourth president. Abdurrahman, a
\nrespected moderate Muslim leader who is widely known as a
\nreformer and democrat, defeated the popular chairwoman of the
\nIndonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan),
\nMegawati Soekarnoputri, 373 to 313.<\/p>\n
Given the leaning toward mass violence which the country has
\ndemonstrated in the past couple of years, the vote-counting and
\nelection procedure can only be regarded as an example of
\ndemocracy. As is customary in more advanced democracies, Megawati
\ncongratulated her victorious rival as soon as the result of the
\nvote count was announced, and asked her supporters to understand
\nand accept the tally. Her graceful acceptance of defeat and
\nAbdurrahman's warm show of gratitude will certainly be valuable
\ncontributions to the building of democracy in Indonesia.<\/p>\n
Not to be dismissed in this context is president B.J.
\nHabibie's immediate withdrawal of his candidacy for the post as
\nsoon as the Assembly rejected his statement of accountability the
\nevening before. Whatever one may say of Habibie's past policies,
\nhis action, too, helps establish a precedent for the healthy
\ngrowth of democracy.<\/p>\n
If any aspect of Wednesday's presidential election gives cause
\nfor concern, it is the apparent persistence of the potentially
\ndivisive \"religious-versus-secular\" argument, which seems to have
\nbeen a factor in causing the forces adverse to a government led
\nby Megawati to coalesce in what has come to be known as the axis
\nforce, a loose coalition of several smaller Muslim-based parties
\nthat caused her fall. It must be kept in mind that the axis force
\nwas instrumental in persuading Abdurrahman to stand for
\npresident.<\/p>\n
Many analysts predicted during the run-up to the election
\nthat, in the current political constellation existing in
\nIndonesia, the only way Megawati could lose was if she was pitted
\nagainst Abdurrahman, since his candidacy would draw away the
\nsupport of the National Awakening Party (PKB) which Abdurrahman
\nhelped establish. Many observers believe that in Wednesday's
\nvote, Abdurrahman had the support not only of the axis force and
\nPKB, but also of Golkar -- whose chairman Akbar Tandjung was said
\nto be Abdurrahman's preferred choice of vice president -- as well
\nas possibly the military and police faction.<\/p>\n
Another noteworthy fact about the presidential election is
\nthat it has exposed at least one major flaw of the 1945
\nConstitution, which provides for the election of a president and
\nvice president by a majority vote in the MPR, rather than by
\ndirect vote by the electorate. As Wednesday's procedure showed,
\nthis can create a major and potentially divisive discrepancy
\nbetween the wishes of the people and those of the political
\nelite. In this latest case, Megawati, whose party won the most
\nvotes in the June general election, has been left out of the
\npower-sharing game, with potentially damaging implications for
\nthe nation. Wednesday evening's disturbances in Jakarta and
\nelsewhere are a good illustration of the danger this presents.<\/p>\n
In any case, so far it seems that the forces of reform are
\nwell on the way to gaining a solid upper hand over the status
\nquo. However, the huge challenges that still lie ahead make it
\neminently clear that the new government cannot afford to rest on
\nits newly won laurels. The first task it must pursue is to work
\ntoward true reconciliation among the various components of
\nsociety, to restore stability and mend the economy. It would be
\ndisheartening at this stage to think of the possible
\nrepercussions that failure to accomplish this could have.<\/p>\n
It remains to be seen how the people, the students -- and most
\nimportant, the market -- will react to the new government. A no
\nless important fact will be that Abdurrahman's government will
\nhave to answer for its policies to a legislature infused with new
\npowers and dominated by Megawati's PDI Perjuangan. Hopefully, new
\nPresident Abdurrahman will prove to be up to the task.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/the-tasks-ahead-1447899208",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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