Tough job for the Assembly<\/p>\n
Friday marks another milestone in the history of the 54-year-
\nold Indonesian republic. On this day the second democratically
\nelected People's Consultative Assembly convenes. Its members
\ninclude all members of the House of Representatives.<\/p>\n
The first democratic Assembly this country established was in
\nthe wake of the 1955 general election, the first and only fair
\ngeneral election here until last June.<\/p>\n
The nation's journey toward democracy has been a long and
\nrough ride. The struggle for a universally recognized political
\nsystem was tragically interrupted by presidents Sukarno's and
\nSoeharto's authoritarian rules starting in 1959 and 1971
\nrespectively.<\/p>\n
Sukarno seized power by dissolving parliament with a decree,
\nand his successor staged his first dirty and deadly election in
\n1971 to divert the nation from its dream of a democratic future.<\/p>\n
But it is also worth remembering that this year's general
\nelection does not mean a complete shift from old values to new.
\nThe general election was called in an effort to address the
\nnation's problems in the wake of student demonstrations, which
\nmanaged to force Soeharto to step aside in May last year.<\/p>\n
As there was no other method available, the electoral process
\nwas based on the 1945 Constitution, the imperfect, outdated but
\nmost exploited document in our history, and on which many laws
\nhave been based.<\/p>\n
The nation has for the past year been in a transitional
\nperiod, living under a Soeharto-style government. That is why
\nmost thinking citizens never expected any change that would
\nproduce total reform.<\/p>\n
Now people pin their hopes on the new Assembly, the nation's
\nhighest constitutional body, to introduce total reform, just as
\nstudent demonstrators strived for last year.<\/p>\n
To avoid a repeat of the aftermath of the 1955 polls, the new
\nAssembly must turn out a democratic and strong government under a
\nreformist leadership. Judging by the failure of the June polls to
\nyield an absolute majority -- just like the 1955 general election
\n-- the task will be complicated and precarious.<\/p>\n
There is one political contestant who leads the vote, but in
\nthe Indonesian system such a strength does not guarantee the
\nright to lead the nation. There is an outstanding majority of
\nAssembly members, who comprise interest group members, regional
\nrepresentatives and 38 nonelected military men, who have their
\nown concepts of national programs.<\/p>\n
Our system might appear to be the most confusing in the world,
\nbut it is the only system we have. So even now poor Indonesians
\nare still in the dark about who will lead them for the next five
\nyears.<\/p>\n
Other arduous problems which the nation has put on the
\nshoulders of Assembly members include the amendment of the 1945
\nConstitution, the introduction of good governance, respect for
\nhuman rights, judiciary independence, a legal solution to the
\nalleged corruption by Soeharto and his cronies during 32 years of
\niron-fisted rule, the creation of effective regional autonomy and
\nthe end of the military's sociopolitical role.<\/p>\n
With all these matters combined, the Assembly can only reach a
\ndeadlock if its members fail to show statesmanship, shed their
\npolitical egotism, and put their loyalty to their political
\nparties aside, because the nation needs their absolute loyalty as
\nnever before.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/tough-job-for-the-assembly-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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